Gundam SEED: Tiberian War
by SulliMike23
Summary: Cosmic Era 71, The war between the EA and ZAFT has reached a stalemate. However, the Brotherhood of Nod is working in the shadows, waiting to strike. Normal pairings inside. Original idea by AkatsukiLeader13.
1. Mobile Suit Page

Hey everyone. I'm back with my first crossover between Gundam Seed and Command and Conquer. Now this is actually AkatsukiLeader13's idea, but because he's been so busy with other things, he has given me permission to take over and use his story with a few ideas of my own. But we'll start with this mobile suit page that will be updated as the story progresses.

* * *

"_I swore to protect EVA, and I'm not breaking that promise!" _–Cagalli Yula Attha

Model Number: GAT-X208 'Guardian'  
Overall Height: 17.47 meters  
Weight: 84.31 tons  
Power Plant: Ultracompact Energy Battery  
Special Model Features: Phase Shift Armor, "Alpha Geschemeidig Panzer" energy deflection system, EVA A.I. interface  
Fixed Armament: 2x "Armfeuer" 115mm machine gun, mounted on forearms; 2x 55mm beam gun, fire-linked, mounted on backpack, usable only in close-combat mode; 2x 220mm 6-barrel missile/torpedo pod, mounted on the underside of shields; 2x "Igelstellung" 75mm Automatic Multi-Barrel CIWS, fire-linked, mounted in head;  
Optional Hand Armament: 'Jormundgand' heavy spear  
Pilot: Cagalli Yula Attha  
Appearance: Its body is pretty much the same as the Forbidden and Forbidden Blue. The backpack is identical to the Forbidden Blue's, minus the shields, rudders, thrusters, torpedo tubes and phonon maser cannon. It has the Forbidden's shields and thrusters. The two beam guns are located on the sides of the backpack's head.  
Color: Body: Dark purple head, torso, shoulders, forearms and shins. White biceps and thighs. Black trim. Pack: Dark purple and black trim.  
Info: One of three prototype Earth Alliance and GDI mobile suits produced by Morgenroete to escape capture by ZAFT forces at Heliopolis. This unit was designed with close combat fighting in mind. Equipped with the experimental Alpha Geschemeidig Panzer system, a variant of the Mirage Colloid system of the Blitz, created to deflect beam weaponry. Combined with its PS armor, the Guardian was designed to take whatever the enemy could throw at it while the machine moved in close to the target and destroys it. However, the energy deflection system is only a prototype. As a result, extended use of the system, added to the already power consuming PS armor, dramatically reduces its operating time. It was also discovered that the system has underwater capabilities. But due to power constrains, it can only be used underwater for a brief duration. Unlike the Strike and the Raven, the Guardian is operated by Cagalli Yula Attha, who later reveals her identity as the Archangel arrives at Orb. The A.I. interface, EVA, managed to program the Guardian's OS so that she could operate it properly as well as provide combat maneuvers to the pilot when necessary. Like the Raven, the Guardian's technology would be later improved on and incorporated into the GAT-X252 Forbidden.

Notes: This is AkatsukiLeader13's original design for the Guardian Gundam that many of you have seen in Gundam Seed Dauntless. Originally, Elizabeth Dante was going to pilot it; but since Cagalli is now with the Archangel, she's now the pilot. Now obviously, he based the design off the Forbidden since he seems to like those three druggie Gundams. For those familiar with Command and Conquer, you notice that the Guardian is equipped with an EVA A.I. interface that you see GDI using in the Command and Conquer games. It basically has the same function as 8 does in Gundam Seed Astray.

* * *

"_Raven huh. Well, let's see what this thing can do." _-Chris Dante

Mobile Suit Serial Number: GAT-X305 'Raven'  
Unit Type: Prototype attack use transformable mobile suit  
Power plant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Phase Shift Armor  
Armament: 2x "Igelstellung" 75mm anti-air vulcan gun, 2x beam saber (mounted on the hips), 1x dual 52mm hyper velocity shield cannon (usable in both modes)  
Mobile Armor Mode Armament: 2x "Ahura Mazda" short-range energy cannon, 2x M2M3 76mm machinegun  
Pilot: Christopher Dante  
Appearance: Appearance wise, it resembles the Raider Full Spec, save it possess the Raider's dual shield cannon and the additional thrusters on the back of the legs.  
Colors: Primary midnight blue with red trim. White thighs, biceps, and face.  
Info: The Raven is the predecessor to the GAT-333 Raider Full Spec and the technologically superior GAT-X370 'Raider'. Originally, it was suppose to the second last G-Weapon to be completed in Heliopolis. But due to an accident early in its construction, it was almost scrapped altogether, but ultimately it was completed the day before the attack on Heliopolis. As a result of this, Rau Le Creuset and the team he sent to Heliopolis were completely unaware of its construction and completion. Like the Raider and the Raider Full Spec, the Raven can transform into a bird-like Mobile Armor and can double as an atmospheric flight platform for other Mobile Suits.  
Notes: Now here's AkatsukiLeader13's famous and most popular mobile suit, the Raven, piloted by his OC Chris Dante. Like the Guardian, it's based off of the 3 Gundams piloted by the aptly named "Druggies"; more specifically, the Raider. One has to wonder if he'll make one based off of the Calamity.

* * *

"_I have to say, I think I'm in love." _-Saul Kessel

Mobile Suit Serial Number: GAT-X204 'Surge'  
Unit Type: Prototype high-speed attack mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Phase Shift Armor  
Armament: 2x "Igelstellung" 75mm anti-air vulcan gun, 1x "Hakenfaust" piercer lock (triple claw), 1x DES-G07D+ long anti-armor sword, DES-G07D+ short anti-armor sword, 1x 55mm high-energy beam rifle  
Pilot: Saul Kessel  
Appearance: The Surge resembles the Blitz, save it lacks the shield/weapon unit on the right arm of the Blitz and has additional thrusters mounted on it's back.  
Color: Dark green with blue trim.  
Info: The Surge is the fastest of all of G-Weapons that had been built at Heliopolis and is the sister unit to the Blitz. The Surge was designed for high-speed and melee combat and tactics. Although it is easily one of the fastest Mobile Suits ever designed, it tends to drain its battery faster than the other G-Weapons, if it overuses its high speed capabilities.  
Notes: Another mobile suit created by AkatsukiLeader13 and piloted by his OC Saul Kessel. I have to say that I'm rather impressed with the speed of this mobile suit. Aside from the GINN High maneuver types, we hardly ever see any mobile suits built for speed by the Earth Alliance or Orb. So the Surge is a nice addition by him.

* * *

"_This mobile armor has pulled me out of a lot of tough scrapes. To part with it is kind of like parting with an old friend, you know?"_ –Conrad Hirsch

Mobile Armor Serial Number: TS-MA2 Moebius Conrad Hirsch Custom  
Unit Type: Customized Mass Production Mobile Armor  
Power Plant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Gun turret near cockpit hatch  
Armament: 1x 40mm Gatling turret mounted on fuselage, 4x missile launchers, 2x 40mm vulcan guns, 1x linear cannon (optional), 1x Gatling cannon (optional)  
Pilot: Conrad Hirsch  
Appearance: This is just a standard looking Moebius with a medium sized Gatling turret mounted on the top of its body that can rotate 360 degrees. The only other distinct feature is the custom emblem of a condor on the front of the mobile armor.  
Color: Standard Moebius colors.  
Info: Originally part of Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero unit, Conrad Hirsch had a customized Moebius built with his modifications so that he can have means of protecting the top of his unit from a mobile suit that may use the noticeable blind spot to their advantage. Many ZAFT pilots have learned to respect Conrad Hirsch's mobile armor and lost their lives to it.  
Notes: I tell you, mobile armors get no love in Gundam Seed, whereas in other Gundam series they are usually depicted as powerful mobile weapons that surpass even a Gundam's capabilities. The only mobile armors that actually manage to kill mobile suits are usually groups of Moebiuses, or Mu La Flaga's Moebius Zero, or transformable mobile suits; and quite frankly, that's not fair in my opinion. So here's my answer to that problem.

* * *

"_For the Black Hawk!" _battle cry of the 11th Fleet

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: A wide range weapons and armaments that varies between pilots  
Pilot: members of the 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet  
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: varies between machines, but all of the mobile suits of the 11th have a crimson mono-eye instead of the pink one that normal ZAFT mobile suits have.  
Info: The mobile suit of the 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet. A high-speed and highly customized machine, these GINNs are superior to their standard counterparts. Only the pilots and mechanics of the 11th Fleet, know what modifications have been installed in their machines. Some of these modifications are legal. Others not so much; which is one of the reasons they are so secretive about their machines. It should be noted that two of the original prototypes survived from before the war. John Alaric's 'Farsight' and Lisa DeCosta's 'Lady Luck'.

* * *

_"Whether from a far or up close, they shall never see me coming until it is too late."_ –John Alaric

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Farsight'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 1x JDP2-MMX22 experimental 27mm armor assault rifle with MA-M3 heavy sword bayonet, 1x MA-M3 heavy sword, 1x 76mm sniper rifle, additional weapons vary  
Pilot: John Alaric  
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: Black with white trim. Two white strips running down the arms and legs. A white hawk on the right shoulder.  
Info: Unlike the GINN Reconnaissance Type, John Alaric's 'Farsight' is the only GINN High Maneuver Type to specialize in long-range combat and sniper tactics. Like Lisa DeCosta's 'Lady Luck' it is the only prototype of this mobile suit still operational and matching John Alaric's amazing sniping abilities.  
Notes: I gotta say though, the Alaric team is an awesome group of mobile suit pilots that AkatsukiLeader13 developed. Originally in his retelling of Gundam SEED (for those who haven't read it this is a spoiler), John Alaric was meant to desert ZAFT and become a mercenary after an attempted assassination on him from Patrick Zala's zealots. In this, however, he's still leading his team.

* * *

"_Never falter! Never waver! Always victorious!"_ -personal motto of Diana Kessel

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-515X 'Panther Mk II'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility commander type mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 1x MA-MA4A heavy sword, 1x M7070 shield-plus 28mm vulcan system, 1x MMI-M7S 76mm heavy assault machine gun, 1x 76mm sniper rifle (optional), additional weapons vary  
Pilot: Diana Kessel  
Appearance: same as a CGUE  
Color: Dark purple with black strips on the forearms and shins. White trim and a white roaring panther head on the right shoulder.  
Info: Diana's second 'Panther'. She received it after the death of Alaric and the original Panther, a GINN High Maneuver Type Custom, was shot down by the Earth Force's 'Hawk of Endymion', Mu La Flaga. She was the fifth mobile suit that Mu shot down at Endymion. Though she survived, she felt humiliated by being beaten by a single mobile armor and has vowed to defeat Mu La Flaga the next time they meet which has yet to happen. The members of the 11th Fleet consider La Flaga a doomed man for having the Bloody Panther after him. Overall, the Panther II is an extremely well-rounded and flexible machine.

* * *

"_Damn. Does that guy always have a stick up his ass?"_ -Ajay to John Alaric after meeting Lucius Raveshaw for the first time.

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Tyr'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 1x modified MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machinegun with a mounted 175mm grenade launcher, 2x combat knives, 1x 76mm sniper rifle (optional), additional weapons vary  
Pilot: Lucius Raveshaw  
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: A rather plain dark green with gray trim. A black fist on the right shoulder. The right hand and forearm are painted black.  
Info: True to Raveshaw's beliefs, the Tyr has the fewest of upgrades among the machines of the 11th Fleet. Raveshaw, for the most part, dislikes close-combat but is an extremely skilled rifleman. Particularly at medium to close range, often tearing apart enemies in a hail of expertly aimed bullets before they can strike. The machine was given its name after an early battle of the BV War where he lost the right hand and forearm of his machine. Rather than retreating and risk ruining his perfectly laid out plan, he used one of his GINN's combat knives to destroy seven mobile armors and insured the success of his plan. Afterwards, John Alaric named his mobile suit after the one-handed Norse God and it's been called that ever since.

* * *

"_He's wild, undisciplined, cocky, and the worst soldier I have ever met. That being said, he's easily one of our best. And if it wasn't for him, we probably wouldn't have survived Endymion." _-Lucius Raveshaw on Ajay Cortez

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Hyena'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 2x forearm mounted folding combat knife, 1x MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machinegun, 1x 76mm sniper rifle (optional), additional weapons vary  
Pilot: Ajay Cortez  
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: Light brown with crimson claw marks on the forearms, shins and left shoulder of the machine. White teeth are painted along the area under the machine's mono-eye and a trio of white teeth on the right shoulder  
Info: Favoring close-range tactics, Ajay replaced his mobile suit's sword with a pair of forearm mounted combat knives. He's prone to discarding his rifle in the middle of battle and tearing through enemy mobile armors with his knives.

* * *

"_Power crushes all!" _-Basque Gideon

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Bruticus'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 2x shoulder mounted Gatling gun, 2x M68 'Pardus' shin mounted 3-barrel missile launcher, 1x M69 'Barrus' heavy particle cannon  
Pilot: Basque Gideon  
Appearance: same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: Dark gray with black trim. A crimson fireball on the right shoulder.  
Info: Basque Gideon believes in raw strength and power ensures victory, and his mobile suit, Bruticus, reflects this belief. While others will use heavy weapons as secondary armaments for specific situations, Basque uses them as standard equipment. Though his machine isn't as fast as the GINNs of the 11th Fleet. He makes up for it in sheer firepower.

* * *

"_Luck is always on my side." _Lisa DeCosta

Mobile Suit Serial Number: ZGMF-1017MX GINN High Maneuver Type Custom 'Lady Luck'  
Unit Type: Customized high mobility mobile suit  
Powerplant: Ultracompact energy battery  
Special Equipment: Lightwave pulse thrusters  
Armament: 1x MA-M3 heavy sword, 1x MMI-M8A3 76mm heavy assault machinegun  
Pilot: Lisa DeCosta  
Appearance: pretty much the same as the GINN High Maneuver Type  
Color: Dark green with crimson trim. A pair of red stylized L's on the right shoulder.  
Info: This machine, like its pilot has had a bizarre history. When Lisa DeCosta was in the Academy, she proved herself to be an excellent pilot but seemed to be cursed with terrible luck. Though she always managed to complete and pass her tests and training missions, she frequently damaged or destroyed her mobile suits in the process. Though always surviving virtually unscratched. At the same time, Commander John Alaric was difficulties with the prototype of future GINN High Maneuver Type Custom, resulting in the loss of several pilots and machines. The worst being, GINN High Maneuver Type Custom Prototype X-04, which had seriously injured and killed several pilots while only suffering minor damage. Leading many to call it cursed. Alaric having heard of the good but unlucky Lisa, had her assigned under his command and immediately gave her the unlucky X-04. The two seemed made for each other as her first test flight with the X-04 went off flawlessly, shocking many of the members of the 11th Fleet. In fact, the terrible luck of the two seemed to reverse. Not only that, but her good fortune spread to her squad mates, leading to a number of them miraculously surviving normally fatal situations. As a result of this, both her and her machine, the X-04, earned the nickname 'Lady Luck'.


	2. Phase 00: The Rising Storm

A/N: Hey folks, I'm back with a new fanfic. This time, a crossover between Gundam Seed and one of my personal favorite PC games, Command and Conquer. Now some of you may recognize this to be similar to AkatsukiLeader13's version and you're right. I simply based it off his and he has given me permission to use his characters. This is my first C&C fanfic so go easy on me if my information can be a little off sometimes; I've only played the Command and Conquer games from the first one all the way up to Generals.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed nor do I own Command and Conquer.

* * *

**Cosmic Era Timeline**

C.E. -25: The mysterious organization known as the Brotherhood of Nod emerges in the public eye. Supporting numerous rebel and terrorist groups, their leader, Kane, claimed that the United Nations is nothing more than a puppet government, ruled by the wealthy and that humanity should rise up. Anti-UN terrorist attacks dramatically increase.

C.E. -20: Due to the activities of Nod, a number of poorer nations of the UN have descended into extreme civil unrest. As a result, the UN declares war on the Brotherhood of Nod. This conflict, and its aftermath, would become known as the Reconstruction War.

C.E. -19 October 16: The UN forces lay siege to Nod's central command outside Sarajevo. After three days of intense fighting, the UN forces manages to destroy the command center. Hacked security footage reveals that Kane was killed in the blast. Without Kane, Nod splinters into numerous factions. However, the UN's initial claims that the war has ended, proves to be false as many of the factions are still just as willing to fight against the UN.

C.E. -16 April 1: George Glenn is born.

C.E. 4: George Glenn is nominated for a Nobel Prize

C.E. 5: George Glenn enlists in the military

C.E. 9: The Reconstruction War finally ends with the deaths of the last major Nod warlords. But small Nod factions still exist around the world. The United Nations adopt the Cosmic Era calendar and announce a new space development program.

C.E. 15: The Jupiter Exploration Mission begins. Just before the mission starts, George Glenn reveals that he is a Coordinator and leaves behind the manual to create Coordinators.

C.E. 20: During a meteor shower, a meteorite crashes near the Tiber River in Italy. A month later, an unknown crystalline material appears in the impact crater. The UN closes off the area and begins to study the crystal, which would become known as Tiberium. Many factions of the Brotherhood of Nod begin proclaiming that humanity's future has arrived.

C.E. 21 May 25: The UN publishes all of the information they have on Tiberium to the public, revealing both its potential and its danger. Many nations become torn over what should be done with Tiberium.

C.E. 21 September 10: The UN's Tiberium Research Facility on the Tiber River explodes. The circumstances of the explosion is never discovered and much of the Tiber River becomes contaminated by Tiberium. In the following months, patches of Tiberium begin appearing all across the planet. As a result, civil unrest and Nod activity increases.

C.E. 25: Due to the growing civil unrest and the UN's inability to keep Nod in check, many smaller nations withdraw from the UN. Some leave because their nation collapses due to the unrest, others leave because they feel the UN can no longer protect their nations. The most notable of these, is the small, but wealthy Kingdom of Orb and the group of nations that becomes the Equatorial Union.

C.E. 28 April 7: The Brotherhood of Nod reforms as a solid whole and attacks the UN, starting a second war with Nod. While much of Nod's complement is inferior to the UN's, Nod begins deploying a number of unusual weaponry. Including Tiberium-based weaponry and a visual stealth system. But most shockingly, Nod's original leader, Kane, returns. Exactly the same as he was during the first war, not having aged in decades since the last war.

C.E. 28 July 4: Nod test fires a Tiberium missile on the Orb island of Shimamori, killing the entire Orb Royal Family and devastating the island. Nod follows up with an invasion of Shimamori's sister island, Onogoro. After a four day brutal urban combat, Orb's military pushes back Nod. A notable hero of the battle was a young Orb officer named Samuel Dante, who, with his CO dead and his platoon cut off from the rest of the Orb forces, led his men through a series of guerrilla raids against Nod forces. After the battle, the survivors of the Orb Noble Families, Government and Military agree to temporarily join the UN against Nod.

C.E. 28 November 1: Having located Kane's Headquarters in Cairo, the UN-Orb taskforce deploys it's forces to capture Kane and his headquarters. As the battle rages, a commando team, led by Orb Commander Dante, infiltrate the command center. The exact events inside the base are never made public. But Kane is killed and the base's self-destruct is triggered. Once again, Nod fractures without Kane. Only fragments of Nod's more advanced and unusual technology is recovered by the UN and Orb, preventing them from fully understanding and reverse engineering the technology. Also, the spread of Tiberium increased dramatically over the course of the war. Within three years, Shimamori becomes uninhabitable.

C.E. 30: The Kingdom of Orb becomes the Orb Union and officially adopts it's stance of neutrality. Orb outlaws Tiberium research, with the exception of containment and eradication. They quarantined Shimamori, using it for research and experiments. They also begin conducting extreme searches for Tiberium on any ship entering their waters.

C.E. 38: Construction on the first of the PLANT space colonies begins.

C.E. 44: The first ten PLANTs are completed. Due to the growing tensions between the growing Coordinator population and the Naturals, many Coordinators move to the PLANTs. This only further divides the two groups, as many Naturals living in areas suffering from Tiberium contamination or civil unrest, grow jealous of the Coordinators living in the pristine and safe PLANTs while they suffer on Earth. But as people move into the colonies, the Brotherhood of Nod enters as well. Unlike their Earth-based comrades, they take a more covert role and slip into the shadows.

C.E. 50: Due to the rising tensions and the demand of those living on the PLANTs for their own government, the Zodiac Alliance is formed.

C.E. 53: George Glenn is assassinated by a young Natural who is angry because he was not born as a Coordinator. Conspiracy theorists suspect that the man had links to either Blue Cosmos or Nod. But no solid evidence linking him to either group is ever found. The PLANT Supreme Council is formed.

C.E. 57: With the growing deterioration of many smaller nations from either Tiberium infestation or continued civil unrest, the United Nations shifts the bulk of their research to Tiberium containment and eradication. In addition, they cut back on aid and peacekeeping efforts in non-member nations.

C.E. 63: Civil unrest within the Equatorial Union increases dramatically as a major Nod faction, known as the Black Hand, lends its support to the insurgents.

C.E. 65: First Mobile Suit developed; Zodiac Alliance renames itself ZAFT (Zodiac Alliance of Freedom Treaty)

C.E. 65 November 1: In the overcrowded slums of Rio de Janeiro, angry, starving people lash out against the local UN peacekeeping force. As the people lash out, anti-UN insurgents attack the UN soldiers, causing massive citywide rioting. The riots last for six days until the UN and South American forces managed to suppress the riot. The event becomes known as the Great Rio Insurrection. UN estimates put the civilian casualties at just under two thousand. However, survivors, both UN and civilian, admit that the casualties could much, much higher. The event and the civilian casualties becoming a rallying cry for anti-UN groups all across South and Central America.

C.E. 67: ZAFT rolls out the ZGMF-1017 GINN, the first fully-functional mobile suit.

C.E. 68: A highly religious faction of the Brotherhood of Nod, known as the Black Hand, reveals their own mobile suit, the NOD-BH100, also known as the Purifier. The Purifier becomes a common sight in many regions of extreme civil unrest, bringing Nod control to those regions.

C.E. 68 October 19: A number of Nod factions invade the Equatorial Union. Within a week, the Equatorial Union collapses as the Nod forces take it's capital city, Delhi. Supreme Confessor Marcion, leader of the Black Hand and most of the Nod factions, proclaims that the Equatorial Union is no more and all of it's nations are now a part of the Brotherhood of Nod. In response to this, the UN increases it's military presence in neighboring nations.

C.E. 69: The Atlantic Federation begins a mobile suit development program.

C.E. 70 February: The Earth Alliance is established by the Alaska Declaration after a terrorist attack wipes out the United Nations on the moon in the Tragedy of Copernicus. Many suspect that the bombing was the result of Coordinator extremists. Some, General Samuel Dante among them, however believe that Nod was responsible for the attack. The Alliance declares war on the PLANTs.

C.E. 70 February 14: With the nuclear attack on Junius Seven, the Bloody Valentine War begins.

* * *

**Phase Zero: The Rising Storm**

Rio de Janeiro

November 1st C.E. 65

Chaos, absolute chaos; that was the perfect description of what was happening. Rio had grown into a very unstable area ever since Tiberium began to grow within the South American country of Brazil. UN forces had been sent to the region to distribute food and water to the citizens of the city; but with their limited resources, the UN forces couldn't distribute the food and water accordingly and now they had a full-blown riot on their hands. A few days ago, convoys carrying the food and water were intercepted and the supplies they carried were stolen and it made the situation even worse.

"Please. Return to your residences once." the UN Captain said over a bullhorn to the growing angry crowd. "Food and water will be evenly disrupted tomorrow morning."

"Bullshit!" a man shouted. "The rich will get all the food and we'll only get the crumbs!"

The crowd let out a cheer at the man's words. "What the hell as the UN done for us other than take from us and sit on their asses as we suffer and die!" a woman added.

"Yeah! The UN doesn't care about us! At least Nod smuggles in food and supplies for us! What has the UN done?! Nothing!"

"Food and supplies stolen from UN convoys that were sent here for you." the Captain replied. "Please. Disperse and return to your homes."

"Lies!" the first man shouted. "If it wasn't for Nod, we would have starved to death weeks ago!"

* * *

On a nearby rooftop, a man smirked as he watched the scene unfold below. Around him, stood a group of armed children; some of them were no older than seven. One of whom held a set up sniper rifle, aiming at the scene below them. They were all orphans, living in the slums here. Some had once had families and lives before they died. While others didn't even have names. Most were Naturals, but there were a few Coordinators too. The slums of Rio had become a dumping group of much poor and homeless of Brazil. The whole thing had become a ghetto, filled with angry, desperate people. Clay for the Brotherhood of Nod. He had been tasked with seeing to it that the angry and hungry people of Rio would rise up against their oppressors and into the arms of the Brotherhood. "Do you have the shot?"

"Yes." the nameless ten year old sniper said.

"Then start the revolution."

* * *

"You're nothing but lying bastards!" another man shouted. "We're slowly dying here while you-"

_BANG!_

The man fell backwards, blood pouring from a bullet wound right were his heart was. Everyone was silent for a moment. "They killed him!" a man in the crowd exclaimed. "The UN killed him!"

At that moment, all hell broke loose. People began shouting and throwing rocks and garbage at the UN soldiers. Some pulled out concealed firearms and started firing. In the middle of all this, another shot rang out and the UN officer fell to the ground, dead. The training of the UN soldiers kicked in and they started firing back, starting a bloodbath.

The man stood up and turned to the children. "The Prophet is watching you all today. It is time to slay the vile oppressors of these people in His name." he said. "One vision. One purpose."

"PEACE THROUGH POWER!!" the children shouted, thrusting their weapons into the air.

* * *

Outside Sarajevo

Three Years Later

C.E. 68

An old jeep traveled through the outskirts of the ruins of the city of Sarajevo. During the assault on the Brotherhood's original temple, the city had been the center of intense fighting during the battle. After the destruction of the temple, the UN had kept the area secured for years and the city was never rebuild.

There were two people in the jeep. The driver and his only passenger. A young thirteen year old boy. "I heard about you." the driver said to his passenger. "You were one of those child soldiers at Rio, aren't ya? Hell, I heard all you kids were killed in Rio."

The boy didn't say anything. He remembered that day quite well. He had been the one to fire the opening shot, sparking the uprising. After that, he and his comrades, who were the closest thing he had ever known as a family, had fought the tyrannical UN soldiers in the brutal city fighting that had lasted for days. The UN had quelled the uprising six days later, killing almost two thousand people in the process. Many of his comrades among them. But their victory had been hollow. All across the world, people had seen the brutality of the UN. Rio had become a rallying cry for freedom fighters all across South and Central America.

Like many, he would never forget or forgive the tyranny of the UN over people all over the world. He would fight until his dying breath against their evil, in the name of Kane and the Brotherhood.

"Quiet eh. Well, no matter. We'll be there soon." the driver said, pulling into an underground tunnel. "Is this your first time to Temple Prime?"

"Yes." He simply said.

The man chuckled. "It may not be finished, but damn is it impressive. You're going to get a kick out of it."

Ten minutes later, they exited it the tunnel. The nameless warrior gasped as he saw Temple Prime for the first time. As the drive had said, much of the outer section of the base was still under construction, but the inner section was complete. And it was magnificent. "Told ya." the driver commented after seeing his reaction.

The entire complex was masked by a ring of disruption towers, keeping it invisible to the outside world. But then, who would actually notice? Sarajevo had been a ghost town for decades. No one lived here. The UN would never find Temple Prime. Not that they knew it even existed.

The driver headed for heart of the entire complex. Temple Prime itself. The driver stopped at the entrance and the young, nameless teen climbed out. A pair of Temple Guards approached him, and without saying anything, they escorted him into the heart of the Temple. Upon entering the Inner Sanctum of the Temple, the guards left, leaving him alone in the large chamber.

"And he cried in a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' and Lazarus did, arise from the grave..." a voice called out.

His eyes widened. He had heard the voice numerous times before, but only in recordings. But he knew who it was.

At that moment, _He_ entered the chamber, clad in black robes came a man who's bald appearance was known to the entire Brotherhood. The Prophet. The Messiah. Kane. "I have always believed that faith was measured in deeds, not words." the Prophet of Tiberium said. "And while many of my children worshiped my name, their deeds betrayed them. In my absence they strayed from the path... But you... you my son, your faith never waned. Not in Honduras or Jericho. Not in the Great Rio Insurrection. You risked your life countless times to topple the UN. To perpetuate our cause. To honor my name." Kane stopped, bowing his head in gratitude. "And now I call upon you again to bring glory to the Brotherhood. I have seen that the governments of the world and the PLANTs have grown vulnerable, bloated by their arrogance and complacency. Soon, it shall be the time to strike. To expose their weaknesses for all the world to see. The UN, ZAFT, Orb, we shall bring them all to their knees, cut off their heads and pierce their hearts." Kane paused for a moment. "But that time is not now. I have need of you elsewhere for now."

"Just say the word, sir." he said, bowing his head. "I would fight for you and I would die for you."

"I know, my child. But the mission I have planned for you is one not of combat, but one of stealth. One of our top agents within the ZAFT government will soon be moving into the field of politics. Eventually becoming a member of the PLANT Supreme Council. The entire family are among our brothers and sisters. And you shall be their child."

Their child? He had never had what people called a normal childhood. His whole life he had lived in the slums, fighting just to survive. When normal children were going to their first days of school, he was learning how to shoot a rifle and create home-made bombs. "Their child sir?" he asked.

"Yes. You shall play the role of son for them. When you come of age, you shall enter ZAFT's military." Kane explained. "Do not worry. Our agents within ZAFT will make sure that you will be in a useful position when the time comes. In fact, your former mentor will be your commander when the time comes and we set our enemies upon each other. Consider this a... _vacation_ until that time."

He bowed his head again. "Yes sir."

"And from now on, my nameless son, your name shall be..."

* * *

Copernicus City, the Moon

February 5th C.E. 70

Everything was in place, all their targets were in one spot for them; it seemed almost too good to be true. But it was, they knew it was time to bring an end to the UN's tyranny and a new war would start between Coordinators and Naturals. One they hoped would be the last war humanity would ever see.

"Are they in position?"

"Yes Commander. Everyone and everything are in place sir. T-minus ten minutes."

The Commander nodded. "Excellent. Cylne's ship?"

"Delayed due to the tampering of our agents. It won't arrive for another half hour." his subordinate replied.

The Commander smirked. "As the Prophet once said, The rivers shall run red with the blood of those who oppose us. But this time, it will flow by their own hands."

* * *

Today was momentous day. The final round of peace negotiations between the United Nations and the PLANTs was to take place in Copernicus City. The UN leaders were already there, waiting for Siegel Clyne and his entourage. They had just received word that Clyne would be late due to a technical malfunction. But all and all, the UN leaders were hopeful. With the growing spread of Tiberium across the planet and the increased civil unrest chased by the Brotherhood of Nod, the United Nations needed to focus their attention to those two treats.

A Copernicus Security Officer entered the meeting hall. "Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen. May I have your attention?"

Everyone turned to him. "Yes?" Secretary-General Cartwright asked.

Suddenly, the man pulled out a detonator. "In the name of Kane! Peace! Through! POWER!" the man shouted, pushing the button on the detonator.

Bombs hidden within the room and within the whole building detonated. In an instant, the entire building was engulfed in a fireball.

* * *

The hideout rumbled as the bombs exploded. A moment later, it passed. "Report." the Commander said.

"One moment sir..." one of his men said. "Confirmed. The bombs detonated. The building has been destroyed."

"Good. We're evacuating. Pack everything up. Tell our field agents to withdraw. I want nothing left behind." the Commander ordered.

His subordinates quickly began to carry out his order. He smirked again. "Now, let us hope that Mr. Slavik can complete the second half of the operation in the days to come." he said, adjusting his white mask.

* * *

A/N: Now I'm sure many of you will try to guess who the mysterious child sniper was. I know who it is, yes, but like AkatsukiLeader13, I'm keeping that a secret.


	3. Phase 01: False Peace

A/N: Well, here's the first chapter of this epic crossover. With a few minor changes, it's basically the same as AkatsukiLeader13's "Gundam SEED: A Retelling". You'll notice the changes when you see them.

Now for those of you unfamiliar with Command and Conquer, AkatsukiLeader13 has provided me a note to let you know about GDI, or the Global Defense Initiative. Enjoy!

_Origins of the Global Defense Initiative: In the weeks after the formation of the Earth Alliance Government, the need for a unified military chain of command became apparent. The suggestion was made to dissolve every EA nation's standing armies into a single organization, along many of the great scientific minds of the EA. This organization's mandate was twofold. To defend the nations of the Earth Alliance and to halt the global spread of Tiberium. On March 16__th__, CE 70, the Global Defense Initiative was formed. GDI armies were divided into separate regions rather by nation, with a GDI commander in command of each region and only their region. When ZAFT Operation Uroboros, the global deployment of the Neutron Jammers, occurred, which caused major power and communications problems around the planet, this compartmentalization proved to be extremely effective during ZAFT's initial Earth invasion. Each regional commander was able to focus solely on their individual region rather than a whole nation or continent. As ZAFT forces invaded, they found themselves able to only take several regions at a time, as their forces would become too exhausted after fighting several smaller forces rather than decimating a larger force until it retreated. However, as more ZAFT forces and mobile suits landed, its effectiveness decreased, but it still managed to slow ZAFT's advance._

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Command and Conquer. I do however own Conrad Hirsch and his mobile armor.

* * *

**Phase One: False Peace**

GDI Central Command

JOSH-A, Alaska

Cosmic Era 71

"Kaohsiung has been completely overrun and the ZAFT forces have taken much of the island." The young officer said, reading the report to the joint commanders.

"Well there's no surprise. Kaohsiung was always the least protected Mass Driver. I can't help but wonder why they built it on Taiwan rather than in China or Japan, where it could be better defended." Admiral Thomas Dunham said with a downcast look.

Secretary-General Nathaniel Hood, Head of the Earth Alliance and Commander-in-Chief of GDI, let out a tired sigh, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The war was steadily turning against them. Despite their numbers, they were losing to ZAFT and its mobile suits. "Have the units stationed on the border of the former Equatorial Union moved. We need to reinforce Panama and Victoria before ZAFT sets its eyes on them as well."

"But sir," General Jack Granger, GDI's overall commander of their North America forces, protested. "With all due respect, we need those units to keep an eye on Nod."

"I'm sorry, General Granger. But we can't waste combat units in the middle of a war, waiting for an enemy that may or may not actually attack." Hood replied, already tired of this argument. "Kane is dead and Nod is but a shell of it's former self. They may have mobile suits like ZAFT, but their military is too small for them to be a realistic threat."

"Kane has been dead before, just as Nod has been broken before, sir. Yet they've managed to come back every time." Granger pointed out. "It would be foolish to believe otherwise."

"Really, General, I did not expect you to be the type to chase after phantoms." Captain Sutherland, Commander of JOSH-A said, his tone condescending. "Your father was there when Kane was killed in Cairo. He saw that madman's death with his own eyes."

Granger turned to look at Sutherland, his eyes narrowing at the man. "And to his dying day, he did not believe that Kane was truly gone."

"Enough!" Hood said, his fist hitting the table. "At the moment, Kane and Nod are the least of our worries. ZAFT has taken one of our Mass Drivers and will likely try for the other two. If we lose both of them, our space-based forces will collapse. The Mass Drivers and the G Project are our top priorities. Speaking of that, what is the status of the G Project? How much longer until they are ready?"

"Sir, the Archangel and the eight prototypes have been completed and the pilots of the machines will be arriving within the hour." Admiral Tein answered. "In three days, Captain Locke will take the Archangel to Ptolemaeus to finish the field tests there."

"How long until we'll be able to mass produce?"

"Within weeks, the first mass production models will be ready for combat deployment."

"I still don't trust using Orb to create those machines." Sutherland said. "They left the United Nations decades ago, and yet we're entrusting them with something so vital."

The sound of fingers tapping the table echoed through the room. "Why worry about something like that?" The young voice said, catching their attention. "I'm more worried about things like the units' power supply. With the N-Jammers, we can't use nuclear reactors and batteries that are nowhere as effective. Especially when Nod has such an effective power system."

"No, don't even think about that, Azrael." Granger angrily said, glaring at the speaker. "We are GDI, not Nod. Using Tiberium goes against everything we stand for."

Colonel Muruta Azrael of the Steel Talons bowed his head in apology. "My apologies, sir. But as I've said before, we're still having energy problems around the world because of the N-Jammers, so why shouldn't we use every resource available to us?"

GDI's Experimental Technology Special Combat Division, also known as the Steel Talons. A sub-faction within GDI, consisting of several battalions specializing in the use of prototype and experimental technologies. In addition to their military forces, they had command over several weapons research facilities, supplying them with their experimental weapons. Out of all of the GDI battalions, they had the highest success rate against the ZAFT forces on Earth. In addition, they had a rival mobile suit project to the G Project. However, they were also advocates of using Tiberium-based technology.

Granger shook his head. "Using Tiberium is the Nod way. Not the GDI way. If we become dependent on Tiberium, we'll be no better than Nod."

"I agree." Hood said. "Tiberium is destroying our world. Already, ten percent of the Earth has been rendered uninhabitable for human life. Our focus should be on Tiberium containment and eradication."

"Understood sirs." Azrael said. "But I would like to take this moment to report on the status of the Steel Talons' FLAGG Project..."

* * *

Heliopolis Colony

Kira Yamato sighed as he typed away at his laptop. Professor Kato had given him a lot of work do and the guy who was suppose to be working with on this with him, had decided about thirty minutes ago to take a break and had yet to resume working.

"You know, you could actually start working again." he said as he looked up from his work and at the only other person in the gazebo.

The other person, a Coordinator named Christopher Dante, was currently playing his guitar. Chris, as he preferred to be call, was sixteen years old and a few inches taller than him. He had grayish-green eyes and dark brown hair that was styled into short, slicked back spikes. He was wearing blue jeans with a simple leather belt, a black t-shirt, and a gray unzipped hoodie. A pair of dog tags hung around his neck.

Kira had known him since he first moved to Heliopolis. And he was actually a bit surprised when he met him. Kira had heard rumors that Chris frequently picked fights with people. Leading Kira believe that he was violent person. Something that Kira would later learn wasn't true. Though he did get into fights, he had never seen Chris start a fight. Rather, all of the fights he did get into were in the defense of someone getting bullied by someone else or to protect himself.

"I could." Chris replied as he continued playing his guitar. "But you're so much better at this than I am."

"Professor Kato asked for us both to do this. So could you please get back to work?"

"Alright, alight. Tell you what. You finish that page your on and then I'll take over for awhile and you can take a break. Deal?"

"Deal." Kira replied as he resumed his work.

A news report came on about the ZAFT invasion of Kaohsiung as Birdy landed on Chris's head.

"Birdy. Birdy." the mechanical bird chirped from its new perch.

"Hey! Get off of there!" Chris shouted as he tried to brush Birdy off of his head.

Kira chuckled at the scene as he half listen to the news report.

"Hey Kira! Chris!" they heard Tolle shout.

Both of them turned their heads to see Tolle, Miriallia, and Chris's younger sister, Elizabeth. She was also a Coordinator and one year younger than Chris.

Elizabeth was an inch shorter the Mir and had green eyes and light brown, almost dirty blond colored, shoulder length hair. She was wearing faded blue jeans with a rip in the left knee, and a bizarre purple and black stripped hoodie.

"Hi guys." Kira greeted as they walked up to the gazebo.

"Yo Tolle, Mir, Liz." Chris greeted as Birdy flew off his head and landed on Kira's shoulder.

"So this is where you two are hangin' out." Tolle said. "Professor Kato was looking for both of you."

"Don't tell me he's got more work for us to do for him?" Chris asked in an annoyed tone as he set aside his guitar.

"I think so." Mir replied. "He's asked us to bring you both to him right away."

Kira sighed. "We're not even done what he dumped on us yesterday."

"Yeah." Chris said in agreement. "Why can't the professor do some of this himself?"

"Why are you complaining? Chances are, you would have had Kira do most of it anyway." Elizabeth said as she sat down next to her brother.

"Well, he should give it to Kira. He's the tech savvy one, not me." Chris said in his defense.

Tolle and Miriallia sat down beside Kira, watching the news broadcast on Kira's laptop.

"Looks like there's heavy fighting Taiwan now." Tolle commented as he watched the news.

"Yeah. Looks like ZAFT has its eyes on Kaohsiung and its mass driver, if they haven't already taken it over." Chris said as he started playing "Imagine" by John Lennon on his guitar.

"Taiwan. That's not far from Orb. Will the homeland be safe?" Mir asked with concern.

"Don't worry Orb is neutral. ZAFT isn't gonna attack it. And the Earth Alliance isn't gonna do anything either. At least, as long as they don't lose Panama and Victoria." Chris answered. "But even then, Eurasia will keep the Atlantic Federation and those Blue Cosmos bastards from doing something crazy."

"Yeah. I have to say we're pretty safe." Liz said in agreement with her brother. "Especially here in Heliopolis. After all, why would anyone want to attack Heliopolis? We're neutral and there's absolutely nothing here."

Suddenly, the screen was covered in static. The scorpion tail emblem of Nod appeared on the screen. "Ugh. Not another one of these broadcasts." Chris said, shaking his head. "You'd think those nut jobs would have something better to do."

The screen changed, showing a Nod pulpit. A dark-skinned man took the pulpit. The man who was currently the most powerful warlord among the Nod factions. Marcion, Supreme Confessor of the Black Hand. Marcion gripped the sides of his pulpit. "As long as man has drawn breath, the Brotherhood has existed. From the beginning, when man's struggle was with nature. Not knowing where he might sleep, how he would eat, or whether he would survive to see the light of dawn. And as long as man existed, there have always been those who would lord over others. People who believe that they, by some unseen right, are granted power over others, and would push others down so they might climb; they are the greatest threat to mankind's existence. For countless years, one man or one race prospered on the sweat and work of others." he said as though giving a sermon.

"Such injustices are not just a sin against mankind, but also a sin against God. The Brotherhood had its beginnings with the first downtrodden who looked for a better way. These oppressed sought a path that would allow them to gather fruits of life, to achieve enough resources and wealth that they and their families could survive and advance with the rest of mankind."

"With the unstoppable growth of Tiberium across the globe, our time has come. The former United Nations has tried and failed to destroy us. They claim that the Prophet is dead." He shook his head. "No, Kane is not dead. He will return. And he will lead all who believe down the path of Ascension while those that refuse to believe will be cast aside. The Earth Alliance, Orb and ZAFT are corrupt nations. The former United Nations hides behind the facade that they are here to help and protect the free nations, so long as they are willing slaves to their government. ZAFT sits around in their pristine PLANTs, caring nothing for those who struggle on Earth. And finally, there is the worst of them all. The nation of Orb. Not only do they ignore the rest of the people of the world, but they dare to destroy _our_ Tiberium world!"

Marcion raised his hands. "All of them declare us, the Brotherhood of Nod, to be terrorists, seeking to destroy their governments and spread anarchy. But we in the Brotherhood know the truth. Our fight is for all mankind, not for those cherished few that live in the nations of the Alliance, or those in the PLANTs, or those in Orb." Marcion slammed his fists into the pulpit. "They are nothing more than tyrants and heretics! But they will go the way of all diseased flesh, rotting away while Nod lives on. Transforming ourselves and the planet. Rejoice, Children of Nod! Our enemies are slaying themselves for us!"

The crowd below Marcion cheered.

"One Vision, One Purpose." Marcion proclaimed to the masses.

"Peace through power! Peace through power!" the crowd cheered before the transmission ended.

Miriallia groaned at the whole thing. "Turn it off, Kira."

Kira closed his laptop just as the crowd continued to chant. Kira had to admit that he himself found Nod's constant broadcasts to try and bring people to their ways of thinking annoying.

"Man. Those guys are nuts." Tolle commented. "I mean they always go on about how Tiberium is the future, yet they always seem to ignore the fact that it's destroying the planet and _fatal_ to humans."

Chris shrugged. "What do you expect? Those guys are lunatics that worship Tiberium and follow a dead madman."

* * *

Meanwhile

"Axis adjusted right. 6.51 points. Entry vector is good."

"Breaking jams disengaged. Transferring control to electromagnetic bucket."

"Deceleration at 2.56. Commence dock. Standby…"

On the bridge of the ship entering Heliopolis's dock, the captain let out a relieved sigh and removed his hat.

"There you have it. This old ship has just completed her final mission." he said as he let his hat float freely away from his hand. His gaze fell on the blond male officer on the other side of the bridge. "You served admirably as an escort, Lieutenant La Flaga, Lieutenant Hirsch. I am in your debt."

Mu La Flaga and another man, Conrad Hirsch, turned to face the captain with equally relieved faces. "Sir, I'm just glad that we arrived without incident. Any ZAFT vessels in the vicinity?" he asked with little actual concern.

"We've spotted two, but it's no cause for alarm." the captain spoke with assurance. "They know that they cannot launch any hostile action once we're docked."

Mu was slightly amused by the fact. "Because it's neutral territory? What a joke that is."

Conrad scoffed at the idea. "I doubt that will stop ZAFT from trying to either destroy or capture those mobile weapons."

The captain found mirth in their statements. "Aha! Well, it's thanks to them that our plans have progressed this far. We are fortunate that Earth has recognized Orb as a nation."

"Excuse us, Sir." the voice of one of the G-pilots interrupted the conversation. The captain turned and met the eight men's salutes with his own before they cleared out to head over to where the new warship was being held. Conrad and Mu couldn't help but stare with pity at the young pilots.

"You sure they can handle themselves alone on the ground?" Mu asked with a grim tone.

"I know they're young, but they were all top guns selected to become G pilots." The captain just shrugged. "They'll be just fine." His voice grew with more mirth. "However, the two of you would stick out like sore thumbs."

Mu and Conrad chuckled a bit, but Conrad's mood turned solemn. "But even our best pilots have been lost in this war because they underestimated ZAFT's mobile suits." He then turned his attention out into space. "I wouldn't be surprised if ZAFT was waiting for us to leave the colony."

* * *

Outside the colony

The two ZAFT ships, a Laurasia-class and a Nazca-class, were sitting behind an asteroid close by Heliopolis. Suddenly, two small black dropships ejected from the Nazca-class, the Vesalius, and proceeded towards the colony.

On the bridge of the Vesalius, Captain Ades and the masked Commander Rau Le Creuset were watching the two dropships leave.

"Try not to look so frustrated, Ades." Le Creuset told his partner.

"Well, I don't imagine it'd be too late to hear back from the Council at least?" Ades asked as he watched the masked man float over to the bridge map and pick up a photograph.

"It will be too late." Rau replied simply. "I have a sixth sense about these things." He passed the photo toward Ades, but the captain did not try to catch it, allowing it to float past his head. "If we do not seize the moment now, later we'll pay with our lives for our reluctance to take action. GDI's new mobile weapons; we must secure them before they attempt to move them."

"What about Nod?" Ades asked. "Do you think they might use this attack as propaganda against us?"

Rau chuckled. "Nod uses almost everything we do as propaganda." He then sat down in his chair. "Besides, they have been unusually quiet since the war started. It wouldn't surprise me if they attacked at anytime in the near future." He then looked out towards Heliopolis. "After all, they hate us as much as they hate both Orb and the Earth Alliance."

* * *

Back inside the colony

"Are the teams in position?" He spoke into his hidden earpiece.

_"Yes, sir, we're ready to move on your command."_

"Remember, nobody moves until ZAFT makes their attack; we can use the confusion of their attack to cover our escape."

_"Understood sir."_

"And remember, we need the both of them _alive_. Am I clear?"

_"Yes sir!"_

The man grinned as he sat in the outdoor café, watching the citizens of Heliopolis go about their daily routines; completely unaware of what's going to happen. He almost felt sorry for these people, _almost_. But it made him content that ZAFT was going to do the job themselves, especially with who was among the team making the capture of GDI's new prototype mobile suits.

'_It's a real pity ZAFT won't use the prototypes to destroy this colony themselves.'_ He thought to himself, as he accepted his coffee with a polite smile and took a sip of it. _'Oh well, but maybe this will send a message to Orb.'_

* * *

Elsewhere

The Creuset team silently moved through the bowels of Heliopolis, heading towards the secret hanger of the Archangel.

When reached the hanger, Athrun Zala performed a series of hand signals. But it was unnecessary; they already knew what they were supposed to do. They quickly and silently separated, spreading out throughout the hanger and began planting explosives throughout the hanger.

They quickly regrouped and made their way towards the interior of Heliopolis. It was time for phase two.

Unbeknownst to anyone, one of the pilots smirked. _'Time for these selfish fools of Orb to get what they deserve.' _he thought as he traveled through the corridors with his teammates. _'A shame that this isn't the Orb homeland itself.'_

* * *

Inside Heliopolis

Morgenroete 

The door of Professor Kato's lab opened, admitting Kira and his friends.

"Ah, Kira, you finally made it," said Sai Argyle, looking around his computer. Kira sighed, but then glanced over to his left, seeing a slim boy wearing a brown jacket and hat.

"Who's that?" Tolle quietly asked Kuzzey Buskirk, another of their friends.

"Oh, a guest of the professor's who was apparently told to wait here," said Kuzzey.

"Really…" muttered Tolle.

"So, where's the professor?" asked Kira, wanting to get this over with. He really wanted to get back to work.

"He had some business to take care of and he handed me this," said Sai, holding up a disk. "It's extra stuff."

"Great…" murmured Kira, taking the disk from Sai and looking at it.

"More work for us." Chris groaned, as he sat down.

"So what's on it?" asked Sai. "I'm assuming it's somehow connected to the work for Morgenroete."

"Not exactly," said Kira. "It's to improve the frame setup module. It's actually just a program analysis."

As Kira sat down to go to work and everyone gathered around him, no one noticed the boy walk over to a door and try to open it.

* * *

Aboard the Vesalius

Rau Le Creuset glanced at his watch and smiled. It was time. By now, his team should have successfully infiltrated Heliopolis, planted the explosives, and were ready for the second phase to begin.

"It's time." he said to Captain Ades.

"Weigh anchor!" Ades ordered. "Vesalius launch!"

The instant the Vesalius and Gamow moved towards Heliopolis, alarms went off in the Heliopolis's Dock Control room, in the bridge of the recently docked Earth Alliance ship and in the hanger control room of Archangel.

While Heliopolis scrambled its defenses, the crew of the Archangel prepared it for take off if needed. When explosions tore the Archangel hanger, killing the crew members in the hanger, the entire command crew and the pilots of the G-Units.

* * *

Morgenroete Factory District

Heliopolis

Lt. Murrue Ramius braced herself as tremors from an explosion shake the colony.

"What the hell?! Did ZAFT fire at the colony?!" Nick Dante shouted as the tremors subsided.

"I don't know! But we have to get the G-Weapons to the Archangel, now!" she replied to the Morgenroete crew chief.

"The Surge, the Blitz, the Buster and the Duel are all ready to go! But we need more time to prep the Aegis, the Raven, the Guardian, the Strike and the Striker Packs for transport!" Chief Dante replied.

He turned to several of Morgenroete crew members. "Mendez, Carter, take your crews and get those four machines out of here and to the Archangel!"

"Aye chief!" the two men answered.

He then turned to several other Morgenroete workers. "Jenkins, Riley, Johanna, get the rest of the crews and get remaining teams and get those machines ready for transport!"

The two men nodded and quickly went about their tasks while the woman, Johanna Dante, looked at her husband with concern.

Nick put his hands on his wife's shoulders. "I know you're worried about the kids, David, and Claire, but they're smart. They're probably already on their way to a shelter as we speak. They'll be fine. We have a job to do. We'll find them when we're finished here, I promise."

Johanna weakly nodded and joined the rest of the crews working on remaining mobile suits.

He turned to Lt. Ramius as drew his sidearm. "How the hell did ZAFT find out about this?"

Murrue shook her head. "I have no idea. Though I don't think it matters anymore."

* * *

Professor Kato's Lab

Tremors shook lab, sending various equipment falling to the ground.

_'What was that?'_ Chris thought as steadied himself by grabbing the edge of the desk that he, Kira, and Sai were at.

Once the tremors died down, he called out, "Is everyone alright?"

"Yeah." Kuzzey said weakly.

"I'm okay." Mir answered.

"Same." his sister said.

"I'm fine." Tolle said.

The blond haired guy that was waiting for the Professor, nodded.

"Did a meteor hit the colony?" Sai asked.

"I don't know, but we should get to the shelters just in case." Liz said.

"I have to agree with Liz." Chris said. "We don't know what's going on. The smartest thing to do is to get to the shelters."

* * *

Heliopolis General Hospital

Doctor David Dante rushed into his office, unlocking a drawer on his desk. He quickly pulled out the pistol from the desk and shoved it into a coat pocket. He wasn't sure what was going on. It could be anything, a meteor, a ZAFT attack, or... He scowled. It couldn't be them. Not after all this time. Still, they couldn't risk it.

"Hello Doctor Dante." a voice called out, making David stiffen. "Did you really think that Orb would be a safe haven for you and your wife after Mendel?"

"Slavik." David spat, pulling out his gun and aiming at the intruder.

Standing in front of the doorway was a trio of men in black suits. David knew the leader of the group. He was the infamous Serbian Wolf of Nod, Anton Slavik. "The Brotherhood has need of your services again, Doctor." Slavik replied as he took several steps forward, a predatory look in his brown eyes.

"No! You tricked us last time, but we will never be Kane's pawns again!" David spat back, gripping the handle of his pistol even tighter.

Slavik smirked. "I don't recall saying that it was your choice." He turned to one of his men. "Bring her in."

Another Nod soldier entered the room, holding his wife, Claire, with a gun at her head. David's eyes widened in fear and he felt a lump in his throat. "The two of you should consider yourselves fortunate. We could have taken your children as well." Slavik said. "But I give you my word, if you cooperate, neither I nor my men will lay a finger on them."

David hesitated. His gun shaking in his hand. He could get only one shot off. Maybe two. He knew Slavik was a Natural, but he couldn't be sure about the others. If he shot Slavik, the soldier holding Claire would shoot her. If he shot that soldier, the others would jump him. Then there was Chris and Liz. Were there Nod soldiers watching them at the moment? Would they hurt them if something happened to Slavik? There were too many risks. "Damn you Slavik. I accept..." he said, lowering the pistol.

Slavik smirked and nodded to one of his soldiers, who went to David and took his gun from him and then bound hands. "I knew you'd see things our way." He said before turning to his men. "Take them to the shuttle and be quick about it, ZAFT's mobile suits will be infiltrating the colony any minute now."

Before the soldiers took them away, David looked at Slavik with a defiant look. "I'm warning you, Slavik," He snarled, stopping with his captor. "If anything happens to our children, you can consider our services no longer required."

Slavik turned to David with an amused look. "I'm a man of my word, Doctor," He said, "So long as you keep working for us until Kane sees fit, I will ensure that your children will not be harmed." With that, his men took the Dantes away before his smirk turned deadly as soon as they were out of earshot. "Of course, I can't say the same about ZAFT or the Earth Alliance."

* * *

Colony Hangar

Earth Alliance Transport

"Oh great," Conrad groaned as he dropped into the cockpit of his Moebius. "I _knew_ ZAFT wouldn't hesitate to attack despite this place being neutral territory!"

Mu dropped into the cockpit of his Moebius Zero and buckled up. He had told the captain to get his team, consisting of himself, Conrad, and two other mobile armor pilots, Luke and Gale ready for combat against the approaching ZAFT forces. The colony defense forces had launched a group of Mistral mobile pods; but Mu and his fellow pilots knew that Mistrals wouldn't last two minutes against a mobile suit, so they had to help them fight off the GINNs as best as they could.

"Launch the ship. The harbor's about to be taken over." he told the captain calmly, despite the situation happening outside. "We're launching too."

Outside the colony, the ZAFT GINNs made quick work of the smaller mobile pods, but it wasn't long before three Moebius mobile armors and Mu's Moebius Zero joined the fray. One of the Moebius units had one feature the other two did not have, on top of its fuselage near the cockpit hatch was a turret containing a Gatling gun. Conrad had customized this mobile armor after seeing that mobile suits often jump on top of other mobile armors and destroy them at point blank range.

While the mobile armors engaged three of the ZAFT mobile suits, two more had broken off; Conrad knew where they were going.

"Damn it!" He cursed, as he swung his mobile armor to avoid weapons fire. "A couple of them are going inside!"

"_We'll worry about them later,"_ Mu said over the comm. _"Just concentrate on these ones for now."_

* * *

Elsewhere

"That's it." Yzak Joule smugly said as he looked through his binoculars. "Just like Commander Le Creuset told us."

"What? That if prod them enough, that they'd come out of their hole?" Dearka Elsman replied.

"Of course." Yzak replied in a cocky tone. "After all, the Naturals are stupid and pathetic."

Saul Kessel shook his head at Yzak's comment. "Don't underestimate your enemies Yzak. That will get you killed. And remember, the Naturals were the ones to create us and they'd managed to survive on a world contaminated by Tiberium."

"Natural lover." Yzak shot back.

"I don't love Naturals." he replied. "Nor do I hate them. They're simply people, just like us. But that enough of the philosophical debate. We still have a job to do. Miguel and Matthew will soon be here."

A moment later, two GINNs appeared over the nearby Morgenroete factory district and opened fire, destroying many of military vehicles that were escorting the mobile suits.

They activated their jetpacks, flying towards four of the six machines while the GINNs systematically destroyed the remaining escort vehicles.

"Destroy the parts we can't carry and the factories." Yzak ordered over the comm. "According to the intel, there should be six machines."

"There's four here which means the other two must still be in factory." Saul said over the comm. as he opened fire on the guards below.

"Rusty and I will continue on to the factory." Athrun said. "Yzak, you guys take these four."

"Alright." he replied before turning to the rest of the team. "Listen up, those who take the one of those machines, disable the self-destruct first."

Saul, Yzak, Nicol, Dearka and half of the ZAFT soldiers landed near the transport vehicle of the first machine and quickly wiped out the guards closest to it.

"I got this one!" Saul shouted as he climbed into an open side hatch on vehicle. "You guys get the other three!"

_'Let's see what Orb and GDI has come up with.'_

* * *

Elsewhere

More tremors shook the build as Chris and everyone else from Professor Kato's lab reached the elevators and stairwell.

"What is going on here?" he said to no one in particular.

"Let's worry about getting out of here first, and then we worry about that." Sai replied as he pushed the elevator call button.

The second he did, the power failed.

"Well, it looks like we're taking the stairs." Tolle said as he opened the door to the stairwell.

There other people climbing the stairs towards the surface and shelter pods.

"Hey! Do you guys know what's going on?" Tolle asked them.

"I heard we're under attack from ZAFT." one man said.

"Yeah, there's mobile suits inside the colony." another said.

"What?!" Chris shouted disbelief. "Why the hell is ZAFT attacking us?!"

Suddenly, the blond haired guy that had been waiting for Professor Kato took off down a hallway.

"Wait! Come back!" Kira shouted as chased after the guy.

"Kira!" Tolle shout at his friend.

"I'll go after them, you guys head to the shelters. We'll meet you there." Chris said as he took off after the two of them before anyone could object.

It didn't him long to catch up with the two of them. Unfortunately, the second he did catch up with them, part of the hallway behind him collapsed. Sending him stumbling to his hands and knees.

"You're a girl!" he heard Kira shout.

Chris looked up to see that person he thought was a guy, was indeed a girl.

"Yeah. What'd you think I was?" she rudely said.

Kira, looking embarrassed, said in his defense, "I...ah...just thought that-"

A tremor shook the building, interrupting him.

"I think we should get out of here, now." Chris said as he picked himself up.

I agree." the girl said. "You two go back. I need to check on something. By myself."

"Are you kidding? The entire hallway has completely collapsed. We can't go back that way." Chris said.

"Yeah, there's no way for us to go back now." Kira said. "But there should be more shelters in the factory district. C'mon!"

* * *

Morgenroete Factory District

Athrun, Rusty, and the ZAFT soldiers with them, were near the hanger of the two remain EA machines. They had for the most part, avoided combat, thanks in part to the distraction caused by Miguel and Matthew in their GINNs.

They had quietly moved around to one of the smaller side entrances of the now heavily guarded warehouse.

Athrun slowly cracked open one of the side doors and he and Rusty tossed in grenades. A few seconds later, there was a pair of explosions.

"Go go go!" he ordered to the rest of the team.

They charged into the warehouse, guns blazing.

* * *

Elsewhere

Saul sighed as finished rewriting the machine's OS. He couldn't help but wonder about this rather crappy OS. You'd think that Orb and the EA would have been able to come up with a proper OS for these things.

"Well, I'm done." he said over the comm. "How are you guys coming?"

"What?! Already?! How the hell can such a lazy ass like you, be done so fast?!" Yzak shouted in disbelief.

Dearka chuckled. "Figures you're the first one done."

"You always were the fastest at this kinda thing." Nicol added.

"What can I say, I know the language of computers." he replied. "You guys better hurry up."

Of course, Saul knew it was gonna take them a few more minutes before they were done. The only reason he was done so fast was that he was gifted when it came to computers.

He decided to pass the time while he waited for the others to finish by looking over the specs of this machine.

_'The GAT-X209 'Surge'. Hmm...Phase Shift Armor. That sounds impressive. Let's see what this thing's got for weapons. Wow! I'm starting to like this thing. I hope I get use this baby after the mission is done.'_

* * *

Morgenroete Factory District

Athrun fired off a burst of rounds at an armed Morgenroete employee. The man fell to the ground, but then Rusty noticed something.

"Hey Athrun! We got a problem here!" Rusty shouted. "Someone screwed up! There's _four_ machines here!"

"What?!"

"Take a look."

Athrun took a glance at the Earth Alliance mobile suits. With all the fighting, he hadn't really paid any attention to them. But now he realized that someone had made a major mistake. There were four prototypes in the warehouse. Meaning that there were eight machines, not six like their intel had said.

_'How could our intel be that off?'_

"We have to destroy the other two!" he ordered. "Someone has to get into those machines and activate their self-destruct systems!"

When Chris, Kira and the blond girl reached the factory district, they found a war zone. Armed Morgenroete employees and Heliopolis security forces were fighting off ZAFT soldiers around four mobile suits.

The mobile suits were unlike anything he had seen before. ZAFT's mobile suits tended to bulky and simple looking things while these ones were slimmer and more elegant. They remained him of a sci-fi version of ancient samurai warriors.

"What the…mobile suits?" Chris stuttered as he stared down at the four machines. _'Is that why ZAFT is attacking us?'_

"Father, I knew you betrayed us all!!" the girl shouted, bringing Chris from his thoughts.

Suddenly, an armed, female Morgenroete employee spun around and aimed her rifle at them.

"C'mon!" Kira shouted as he grabbed both his and the girl's arms and started running. "We have to get out of here!"

Kira and the girl arrived at the shelter entrances; luckily one of the doors still had a green light indicating it was open.

Kira hit the call button and a voice came on over the intercom.

"_Is there still someone out there?"_

"Yes, my friends and I need to get inside. Please open the door."

"_Friends? As in more than one?"_

"Yes."

"_Sorry but we're full to capacity as it is. Try the shelters in the left block."_

"There's a girl with us." Chris said. "At least take her."

The man sighed and said, _"Okay, we'll take her."_

The door opened and both he and Kira shoved her in.

The door opened, awaiting the occupant for the elevator. "Get in," said Kira to the girl.

"Wait, what are you doing?" She said in protest as Kira pushed her into the entrance.

"Get in will you. We'll go to the other side. Don't worry OK."

Kira gave one last push to get the girl inside but at that moment another tremor shook the area. The lights in the shelter entrance darkened and although the girl was in and Kira pressed the send button the elevator didn't move.

"What?"

"That's not good." Chris uttered as Kira kept trying.

"_Hey kids, are you still up there?"_ Asked the guy from the shelter.

"Yes we're still here. What's wrong?"

"That last tremor knocked something loose. The elevator has shut down. No one else is coming down here. I'm sorry."

Kira did not like that. The only way to get to the next nearest group of shelters was to go through that war zone again. Kira didn't particularly like his or Chris' chances of getting through there unharmed, and he liked them even less for the girl who he suspected was a Natural.

But it didn't matter what he thought as the girl had been knocked out of the brief funk she went into at the sight of the mobile suits.

"Let's go," she said as she grabbed his arm and started pulling him along. "We need to get to the other shelters. And this time **you two** getting in before me."

"No use arguing with her, Kira." Chris grumbled

They quickly ran back to the warehouse. They were halfway across the catwalks when they spotted a ZAFT sniper on another catwalk, aiming at that woman from earlier.

"Look out! Behind you!" Kira shouted.

The woman spun around and fired at the sniper, killing him.

"CHRIS! KIRA! What the hell are you two doing here?!" the voice of Chris's aunt, Johanna, called out from on top of one the mobile suits.

"Long story! Don't worry about us! We're heading to the shelters in the left block!" Chris shouted back to his aunt.

An instant later, there was an explosion coming from the left block.

"All of you! Get down here now!" the woman they had saved, ordered.

"Doesn't look like we have much of a choice Kira." he said. "Now the question is, how are we gonna get down there?"

"I got an idea."

"Hey?! What are you doing!?" The girl cried out in indignation as Kira suddenly picked her up bridal style.

Kira ran over to the catwalk. He stopped and placed his foot against the rail to balance.

"You're not planning to do what I _think_ you are doing!" Shouted the girl. However Kira was indeed planning on doing exactly what she was thinking. "No, no, nooooo!" The shout turned into a scream as Kira pushed with all his might and leapt over the rail.

"I know I'm gonna regret this." he said before jumping off the other side of catwalk and onto the machine his aunt was on.

He and Kira landed on the machine's left shoulder. A little sore but otherwise alright. Kira landed on the shoulder of the mobile suit as well. He lost his balance and stumbled forward landing atop the girl in his arms.

"Get off of me you crazy bastard!" Shouted the girl as she pushed Kira off.

"Sorry, but it was the fastest way," said Kira in apology. He straightened up to look for the woman that called for them.

"What's going here?! Why is ZAFT attacking us?!" he shouted as Chris' aunt fired off rounds from a pistol at a ZAFT soldier.

"Long story! Basically, ZAFT wants the machines we've been building!" Johanna replied as she fired the last rounds in her handgun, killing the soldier.

"Isn't that a treaty violation?!"

Johanna was about to reply when an explosion tore through a part of the warehouse. Flames quickly spread across the warehouse.

"I think we'll have to worry about that later!" Chris' uncle, Nick called from the other end of the mobile suit. "We have to at least get three of these away from ZAFT." He then ran towards the truck carrying the fourth mobile suit and got in the driver's seat.

"I'll take the Strike," The brunette called as she grabbed Kira's hand and pulled him towards the mobile suit's cockpit hatch. "Get to the Guardian and the Raven!"

Johanna looked at the blonde girl, and almost immediately recognized her. But she shook it off and pointed her towards the fourth mobile suit, which was strapped to the bed of a truck similar to the ones the other four were on. "My husband will drive you out of here with the Guardian." The girl was about to protest but Johanna interrupted her. "Don't argue with me, go!"

"Come on girl!" Nick shouted from the truck, waving his hand. "We have to get out of here!"

Cagalli ran towards the truck. But a ZAFT soldier spotted her and fired, bullets raining narrowly close to her. Nick fired his sidearm at the soldier, drawing his attention. The soldier fired off a burst at him as a bullet hit him. Nick collapsed into his seat, a hand clutching his chest. Cagalli climbed into the passenger seat. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry about me... We have to get out of here..." Nick replied, stepping on the gas.

The truck moved forward, heading towards the warehouse entrance.

"Damn! This place isn't gonna last much longer!" Johanna said as the warehouse started to collapse around them. "Get in the mobile suit! We need to get out of here!"

Chris nodded. The whole warehouse was going up in flames. He quickly scrambled into the cockpit, followed by his aunt.

A massive explosion tore through the warehouse as the GAT-X303 Aegis, the GAT-X305 Raven, and the GAT-X105 Strike broke through their cradles and stood up while the truck carrying the GAT-X208 Guardian barely made it out in time.

**End Phase**

* * *

A/N: Well, that does it for this chapter. Now for those familiar with the Command and Conquer games, you know who Anton Slavik, Jack Granger, and Marcion are. Anton Slavik is the Nod commander from Command and Conquer 2, Jack Granger is your commanding officer in Command and Conquer 3 if you play for GDI, and Marcion is the leader of Nod's Black Hand in Kane's Wrath.


	4. Phase 02: It's Name is Gundam

A/N: Okay, before I start this chapter, I must point something out. A couple of you have informed me that the Earth Alliance and ZAFT have some decent and not so decent people within their ranks. I am well aware of this fact, I'm no stranger to the Cosmic Era. Also, while I won't reveal who the Nod sniper is, I will tell you that it's not Saul Kessel, AkatsukiLeader13's OC; but that's _all_ I will tell you. I may throw in some subtle hints on who it is, but I want to surprise you all as AkatsukiLeader13 was going to.

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Seed or Command and Conquer or any of the characters or mobile suits in this story. I do, however, own Conrad Hirsch and his mobile armor.

* * *

Phase Two: It's Name: Gundam

January 25 C.E. 71

Morgenroete Factory District

Heliopolis

As the flames consumed the warehouse, three mobile suits emerged from the ruined building. Their movements were slow and shaky, like the machines were being operated by trainees piloting a mobile suit for the first time. On the other end at the entrance to the hangar, the truck carrying the Guardian managed to get clear of the flames, but inside Nick Dante was struggling to keep conscious while driving. The girl with him, watched as the three mobile suits emerged and confront one another.

'_Why father?'_ She thought to herself sadly. _'Why did you get us involved?'_

* * *

The Aegis pulled away from the other two machines as a pair of GINNs landed nearby the three Gundams.

"Athrun!" Miguel Aiman called to the pilot, Athrun Zala.

"_Rusty failed."_ Athrun simply said, getting shocked expressions from the two ZAFT pilots.

"Where did that other machine come from?" Miguel asked, looking at the Raven.

"_Our intelligence was off,"_ Athrun replied. _"There were _eight_ machines."_

"Eight!?" Miguel exclaimed incredulously. "But I only count seven, including that new one."

"_The last one got away in a truck; I don't know where it is now."_

* * *

Chris watched his aunt struggle to operate the mobile suit. Though he knew they were still in danger, he couldn't help but feel concerned about Kira, Liz and the others.

"Damn. They still haven't perfected the OS yet. How did they ever expect this thing to be combat ready with this OS?" Johanna said in frustration.

Chris couldn't help be agree with her. The operating system was clearly of an inferior design; which was very bad for them, if those GINNs decided to attack.

Suddenly, a woman's voice came over the radio. _"Pilot of the Raven, identify yourself."_

"This is Johanna Dante of Morgenroete. Lt. Ramius? Is that you?"

"_Yes."_ Lt. Ramius answered. _"It's good to see that you managed to survive and get that machine out of there. Where's the Guardian?"_

"Nick managed to drive away with it. Listen, is Kira with you?" she asked.

"The boy? Yes, he's here."

_'Thank god.'_ Chris thought to himself.

He had lost enough friends because of this war.

"Good." Johanna said. "Now listen to me Lt. Ramius, the OS still isn't ready for a Natural like you and myself, to pilot. Allow Kira to pilot the machine."

"**What?!"** both he and Lt. Ramius said in disbelief.

"Kira's a Coordinator, just like my nephew. They should been able to better handle these machines than we can at the moment."

"What?!" he said again.

"_I can not allow a civilian to pilot a top secret machine."_ Ramius replied.

* * *

Suddenly, the two GINNs holstered their rifles, pulled out their swords.

"Athrun, Matthew and I will capture these two and find the other one." Miguel said to Athrun. "You get yours out of here."

Athrun hesitated, but he complied and the Aegis flew off. At that moment the two GINNs ran at the Strike and Raven.

* * *

Johanna quickly pushed a button on the console, activating the Raven's Phase Shift armor. Its dull gray body turned to midnight blue with red trim. One of the GINNs rose it's sword over its head. She barely managed to raise the Raven's shield cannon to block the sword strike and push back the GINN.

"What the!?" Matthew exclaimed as he pulled his mobile suit back.

"What's with that armor?" Miguel asked as he too failed to slice the Strike.

"Damn it." Johanna cursed. "We don't have much time Murrue. It's the only way to save these two machines."

Johanna then moved out of the seat and said in voice that allowed for no argument, _"Get in."_

Chris quickly sat and began to experiment with the controls, all the while thing, _'What the hell am I doing in this thing?'_

"You probably gonna have to rewrite the OS to better accommodate a Coordinator like yourself." she said.

"Oh great." he mumbled to himself as he began rewrite the system.

But the GINN wasn't about the time to do it. It lunged at him with its sword. Chris barely sidestepped the attack.

"Damn it. I need more time." he said as he continued to type away while keeping an eye on the GINN.

GINN swung its sword again and again at him. But each time, he dodged the blows. And Chris noted that the machine's movements as well as his own reactions were becoming quicker and smoother. The mobile suit's movements weren't perfect but definitely better than it was earlier. The pilot of the GINN was clearly getting angry as his swings were getting wilder and wilder. Making it easier for him to avoid the attacks and rewrite the OS.

"This will have to do for now." he said to himself as he finished his typing.

He hadn't completely rewritten the OS, but he didn't have the time to do that while dodging attacks. But it was enough for him to properly pilot the machine without too much difficultly.

The GINN swung it's sword in a downward arc. He sidestepped it and punched the GINN's head, sending it falling to the ground.

Chris took this momentary stop in the fighting to check on the machine's computer for its weapons.

_'Let's see..."Igelstellung" 75mm anti-air vulcan guns, beam sabers, and a dual 52mm hyper velocity shield cannon. Hmm...Mobile Armor Mode. I don't think I'll be trying that one today.'_

* * *

The GINN quickly got back onto its feet.

"What's going on here?" Matthew asked to no one. "He started stumbling around earlier, now he's beating me!"

* * *

The GINN charged at him, its sword pulled back. The GINN pilot clearly wanted to destroy him and this mobile suit.

_'Well, let's try the Igelstellungs'_

Chris squeezed the trigger and the two head mounted Igelstellungs fired. The rounds did nothing to the GINN's armor but they did catch the pilot off guard and he stopped his charge.

The GINN sheathed its sword, drew its rifle and fired. Rounds struck the mobile suit, violently shaking it but the armor held.

_'Wow. This thing's armor must be quite strong if it can take bullets from a mobile suit rifle without any real damage. Let's see what this thing can do.'_

He raised the machine right arm, with its arm mounted cannon and fired. A pair of energy shots streaked towards the GINN.

Unfortunately, the cannon's calibration was off. The first shot missed entirely while the second shot severed the GINN's right arm at the elbow. The GINN staggered back a few steps.

* * *

"Oh man," Matthew checked his damage. "I better get out of here!"

He then activated his GINN's thrusters and flew off.

* * *

Suddenly, there was a loud, nearby explosion. Chris looked around and spotted the Strike stumbling backwards from an explosion.

"KIRA!" he shouted.

To his relief, the Strike stayed standing and appeared to be relatively undamaged. The only sign of the other GINN was flaming wreckage strewn around the ground.

"Lt. Ramius, Kira, are you two alright?" Johanna asked over the comm.

"_I'm fine."_ Kira replied. _"But that woman's injured and unconscious."_

"Okay." she said. "There's a park not far from here. We'll go there and regroup. Got it?"

"_Got it."_ Kira replied.

Johanna then put her hand on Chris's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?"

For the first time, he realized that he was breathing heavily, sweating buckets and he had a death grip on the controls. He felt a little light-headed and scared but at the same time, he had this lingering sense of excitement, like he had just gotten off an intense amusement park ride. He let go of the controls and watched his hands slightly tremble for a moment.

He couldn't help but wonder how they had survived that battle. This was his first time in a mobile suit and yet he had managed to beat a trained ZAFT pilot while rewriting part of the OS.

His hand reached up and wrapped a hand around his grandfather's dog tags. His grandfather had always said that these dog tags were lucky and would protect the wearer. Before, he had passed it off as has his grandfather being superstitious. Now, he wasn't so sure.

He nodded. "I'll be alright."

"Hey, what's this machine's name?"

"It's the GAT-X305 Raven." Johanna answered. "And the machine that Kira is in is the GAT-X105 Strike."

"The Raven huh? So you made this thing?"

"Yes. But at the moment, I can't tell you much else. This is all supposed to be top secret."

"Is Uncle Nick apart of this as well?"

She nodded sadly. "Yes, and right now we need to get going. When he sees the Raven, he'll know where to go."

He gripped the controls again and moved the machine towards the park.

* * *

The girl, Cagalli, continued to watch as the prototypes fought the ZAFT GINNs as best as she could. She then took a moment to look at the mobile suit the truck she was in was carrying. Like the others, it was currently a gun metal grey and looked very identical to them. She couldn't help but wonder why Orb was involved in developing these things.

Her thoughts were interrupted as the truck began to swerve. Snapping her head back to the driver, she saw that he was having trouble breathing.

"H-hey," She said to him timidly. "Are you alright?"

But he didn't answer her, he was losing too much blood and it was causing him to lose consciousness. She shook him to get him to answer, but it ultimately caused the truck to almost swerve out of control. Thinking quickly, Cagalli grabbed the wheel and straightened it out on the road, she then reached down with her foot and stamped down on the brakes. The tires squealed as the truck slowed to a stop.

Cagalli then unbuckled her seatbelt and went to check on Nick.

"Are you alright?" She asked him again, almost frantically. She then noticed his hand was clutching his wound where large amounts of blood were leaking out of it. Her eyes widened in fear; the man had saved her life and now he was losing his.

"We need to get you to a-" She cried, but he interrupted her.

"Listen to me" He said, his voice hoarse, "I know who you are...Princess," Her eyes widened in shock and he smiled wryly before coughing up a little blood. "You must...do something for me... The Guardian was equipped with...EVA," Cagalli looked at him with a questioning look. "We were testing its...combat capabilities... But it wasn't...going to be in the machine when...we were going to...give it to GDI... EVA cannot...leave Orb hands... We can't risk it...falling into Nod's hands... Swear to me... Swear to me on your family's name...that you will protect EVA and...bring it back to...Orb..."

She hesitated but nodded, tears beginning to build in the corners of her eyes. "I swear it."

"Thank...you...Princess..." He whispered finally, as his eyes closed and a last breath of air left his lips and his body went limp.

Cagalli couldn't take it, and she finally began to cry her eyes out.

* * *

Outside the colony, the battle wasn't looking too good for the GDI mobile armors. Already, Mu and Conrad's two wing mates Luke and Gale were destroyed by the GINNs and now they had just lost their ship.

"Ugh! Can't we do something about this difference in battle strength!?" Mu shouted before disengaging his gunbarrels at a GINN he and Conrad were currently fighting. The GINN was firing bursts of its machine gun at Conrad, keeping it distracted long enough for Mu's gunbarrels to damage it.

* * *

Back on the Vesalius, Rau le Creuset was not a happy man. Athrun had reported that GDI had built two more machines aside from the six they were after. How the last two mobile suits escaped notice by ZAFT intelligence was no surprise, but why hadn't his _other_ comrades informed him of the mistake?

"Olar's taken damage!" One of the COM techs called from his station. "Emergency crew to B deck!"

Ades looked frustrated. "In a simple battle such as this, Olar has taken damage?"

Rau smirked, knowing what was going on. "From the looks of it we have an unseen problem," He said. "A couple of rather annoying flies buzzing around."

"_Laser beacon detected from Miguel and Matthew!"_ A crewmember called to the bridge. _"Matthew has taken damage and he has Miguel with him!"_

Le Creuset thought a moment. "If those things are powerful enough to take out Miguel's mobile suit and damage Matthew's," He then floated out of his seat and towards the bridge exit. "It's all the more reason why we simply can't neglect the last ones."

* * *

Flares lit up signaling the mobile suits from the Gamow and Vesalius to withdraw. Conrad and Mu were perplexed by the situation.

"They're retreating?" Mu murmured curiously.

"_But why would they?"_ Conrad asked over the COM. _"They had us outmatched."_

"There's still something…" Mu then felt a certain sensation that caught his attention. "What's this?" Mu then flew his mobile armor in the direction he felt it.

"_Hey, wait for me Mu!"_ Conrad called as he turned his mobile armor after Mu's.

* * *

On the other side of the colony, docked just at one of the asteroid hatches, a dark shuttle bearing the Brotherhood of Nod's emblem stood waiting for the right moment to leave. Inside, Anton Slavik was watching as things in Heliopolis had changed to unexpected moments. First was through intercepted communications between the ZAFT pilots, GDI still managed to maintain control over the last prototypes and then there was the fact that there were eight instead of six like both theirs and ZAFT's intelligence told them. Apparently, GDI was getting good at keeping their new mobile suits hidden. Then he and his crew managed to watch as the new mobile suits managed to destroy a GINN and damage another with almost ease.

It made Slavik wonder who was in control of the two that fought; if he hadn't known better, he would assume that the two mobile suits were completed earlier than expected. But his thoughts were interrupted as Oxanna Kristos, a beautiful blonde woman and his trusted aide, entered the cockpit and sat down in the co-pilot's chair.

"Are the Dantes secured?" Slavik asked her.

"Yes, sir," She said automatically. "They're strapped in and we're ready to go."

"Excellent," Slavik nodded before turning to a computer screen in front of him. "CABAL, situation?"

CABAL, or Computer Assisted Biologically Augmented Life-form, was the Brotherhood of Nod's artificial intelligence computer that helped Nod commanders in making command decisions. It provided them in significant battle tactics and gave them full control over their forces. It had access to any database in the world and it could think of complex strategies all its own. To Nod, CABAL was the most advanced artificial intelligence ever created.

"_**ZAFT has withdrawn its mobile suits and has launched a single CGUE to engage the remaining GDI mobile armors."**_ CABAL replied in its augmented voice while its 3D face appeared on the screen. CABAL's face looked almost alien and human-like at the same time.

Slavik nodded; he knew who was piloting that mobile suit. It was Rau Le Creuset, one of ZAFT's top aces. But unknown to ZAFT, Le Creuset was also a brother of Nod spying within ZAFT and helping move the war along so that GDI and ZAFT would weaken themselves for the Brotherhood to strike. In fact, it was Le Creuset that led the operation to destroy the UN in the aptly called Tragedy at Copernicus. That had been a tremendous victory for Nod; with the destruction of the UN, the Atlantic Federation adopted the new the Global Defense Initiative or GDI to defend the Earth.

But he himself also helped get the war started. It was Slavik himself who had provided the Roosevelt with the nuclear missile that destroyed Junius Seven in the Bloody Valentine. Like Copernicus, it was a great victory for Nod because it had been the fatal shot that began the war. But it also made him angry because ZAFT's Neutron Jammers, or N-Jammers for short, had been developed shortly after and deployed on Earth during Operation Uroboros. Thanks to those N-Jammers, even the Brotherhood couldn't use their nuclear weapons! Still, he had to give ZAFT credit; it was a rather brilliant development in this war aside from mobile suits.

"Good," Slavik said, as he began making preparations for launch. "Now let us leave this place and report back to Kane."

"All preparations complete," Oxanna reported. "Engines fully functional."

"Launch."

With that, the shuttle's engines ignited and the Nod shuttle left the colony exterior. Almost immediately after, the shuttle disappeared thanks to Nod's unique stealth system. Even without N-Jammers, it would've been impossible for radar or other forms of sensors to detect the shuttle.

* * *

When Chris and his aunt reached the park, both the Strike and the Raven knelt down and deactivated their Phase Shift armor and their cockpits opened up. At the same time, much to both Chris's and Johanna's surprise, Liz, Tolle, Sai, Miriallia, and Kuzzey arrived.

"What are you guys doing here?!" Chris shouted as he and Johanna climbed out of the Raven while Kira climbed out of the Strike. "You're supposed to be in the shelters!"

As soon as he reached the ground, he rushed over and embraced his little sister in a hug. He usually wasn't the type for this kinda thing but thought of his sister out there in the middle of a battle, had scared him half to death.

"Sorry brother." Liz said. "But when got outside, we kinda ended up in the middle of a battle between you and those GINNs."

"You guys were amazing! And those machines were awesome!" Tolle shouted like a kid in a candy store. "Where'd those machines come from? And-"

"Can we save the questions for later? Johanna interrupted. "There's an injured person in the cockpit of the Strike and I'm gonna need some help carrying her out of the cockpit."

"What do you want us to do?" Kira asked.

"Kira, you, Tolle, and Sai, will help me get her out of the cockpit. Chris, I want you to get back in the Raven and finish rewriting the OS. ZAFT may have left, but it's likely that they'll be back and you and Kira are the only ones who can pilot these machines. And once we get Lt. Ramius out of the cockpit, I want to do the same."

"Actually, I finished rewriting the OS already."

"What? Wow. That's amazing. I knew you Coordinators had impressive abilities but...wow." Johanna said in amazement.

"What about the rest of us?" Mir asked.

"Just stay out of the way for now." Johanna answered she then looked around. "Where's Nick?"

"Uncle Nick?" Elizabeth finally realized that her uncle wasn't there.

"I saw him escape with that girl and that other mobile suit in a truck." Chris said just remembering what happened during all the chaos.

"What girl?" Sai asked, a little confused about what they were talking about.

"Remember that person who was waiting for Professor Kato?" Kira asked them and they nodded.

"Turns out it was a girl." Chris informed them, receiving shocked expressions.

Their thoughts were interrupted as the sound of a truck engine approached the park; turning towards the direction of the sound and sure enough, the truck carrying the Guardian was approaching them.

"That must be Nick now." Johanna said with a relieved smile, but it faded after the truck stopped and the girl from earlier jumped out of the driver's side door.

The girl's eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying and her hands were covered in blood. Johanna feared the worst as she ran towards the girl with the others not too far behind her.

"Where's my husband?" Johanna asked her voice nearly to the breaking point.

The girl's face turned pained and she looked up almost ashamed at herself towards Johanna. "He…he's dead." She choked out, getting shocked and sad faces from the Dantes. "T-there was nothing I could do…he was bleeding so much…I…" The girl couldn't say any more, but Johanna understood and went to the cab, where she saw her husband in the passenger seat, unmoving and covered in his own blood. She finally broke down crying as Chris and Elizabeth went to console their aunt. It made them doubly worried about their parents. Kira and the others couldn't help but be saddened themselves; Kira helped console the girl who was with him in his final moments.

* * *

After recovering from the shock and grief over the loss of their uncle and husband, the Dantes took his body out of the truck, into a secluded area of the park, and covered him with a white sheet. They didn't have the necessary tools to either bury him nor did they have the time. Johanna knew that she would grieve another time; right now she had to concentrate on the prototypes they had and she then approached the girl who arrived with the Guardian.

"Thank you for bringing the Guardian here." She said to the girl, who had recovered from her own painful moment with the Dantes. "And thank you for being there."

The girl then looked up at Johanna and said, "I made a promise to him."

Johanna looked at her curiously. "What promise?"

"I promised that I would take care of the Guardian." The girl said at last, getting a stunned expression from Johanna. But Johanna recovered, knowing her husband had told her about EVA, and nodded.

"Alright," She said softly. "But later, we'll have to rewrite the OS so that a Natural can operate it."

The girl nodded and was about to walk away before Johanna called to her. "Thank you again…Cagalli."

The girl stopped and turned to Johanna with a stunned expression. "H-How did you?"

Johanna simply smiled. "It's not hard to recognize who you are for someone like me." Cagalli was about to say something but Johanna raised her hand to stop her. "And don't worry, I won't tell anyone else who you really are."

That seemed to ease the girl's worries as Johanna walked towards the Raven.

* * *

Chris climbed back into the Raven's cockpit while Kira and the others went about their tasks.

Chris sighed as he sat down and pulled out the keyboard. He knew Kira was good at computers but the fact that he had completely rewritten the Strike's OS while under attack no less was unbelievable. He doubted that most Coordinators could do that.

He resumed rewriting the OS. He had to admit, this machine was impressive. And he was kinda curious about the full extent of the Raven's abilities. He almost wished that ZAFT would launch another attack just so he could see its abilities.

Keyword there being 'almost'. If ZAFT did attack again, it would only endanger Heliopolis and its people.

A short while later, Johanna climbed into the Raven's cockpit.

"How's it coming?" she asked.

"Almost done." he replied. "How's the Lieutenant?"

"We treated her wound as best as we could. She's still unconscious though."

"So what now?" he asked.

"Well, the Strike is low on power from its battle, so I'm gonna go see if I can find a transport trucks with one of the Striker Packs for the Strike."

"Striker Packs?"

"Basically, armament and a battery recharge for the Strike." Johanna replied. "Unlike the Raven and the Guardian, the Strike has few build in weapons. Instead, it can become equipped with various different weapon packs. Allowing the machine to serve multiple roles on a battlefield. The Raven on the other hand was designed primarily for space and atmospheric combat. The Guardian, however, was designed for amphibious combat."

"Wow. That sounds quite impressive."

"Yes, the Strike is easily the most impressive and powerful of the prototypes we made. But I always preferred the Raven and the Aegis."

"The Aegis?"

"That was the third machine in the warehouse."

"Oh. What's so special about this machine and that one?"

A grin spread across Johanna's lips. "They both transform into mobile armors. When I was a child, I always loved the idea of a transforming robot. In fact, that's one of the reasons I fought to save the Raven from being scrapped after the accident."

"There was an accident?"

"Yes. Early in the construction of the Raven, there was an accident. Half of the crews working on it had died or were seriously injured. Afterwards, the higher-ups wanted to scrap the Raven and focus on the other units. Myself and some of the others that had been working on these machines had decided that we shouldn't discard the Raven just because of the accident. We argued that the Raven had for the most part, survived the accident and could be salvaged and that by abandoning it, all those who died would have died in vain. Eventually, they agreed to allow us to finish it."

"Hey, there is one that's bothering about this whole thing."

"What?" she asked.

"Why did ZAFT attack us? Orb is neutral. Even if it was developing new weapons, that still isn't a reason to violate the treaty and attack Heliopolis."

"We violated the treaty." she said.

Chris instantly stopped typing. "What?!"

"We worked on these machines with the Earth Alliance. That injured lieutenant is an EA officer."

"Why would the Orb government do that? They wanted to stay out of war."

Johanna shrugged. "Don't ask me. I'm not a politician, I just build these things."

Chris had never met the Lion of Orb, but his grandfather had on several occasions and always spoke highly of him. Attha had always spoken of maintaining Orb's neutrally, yet if he authorized building these mobile suits with the EA, than how could Orb stay neutral? What reason did he have for violating the treaty like that?

"Well, I'm going now. I'll be back in a little while." Johanna said as she climbed out of the cockpit. "Let's hope that ZAFT has decided to leave rather than risk further damage to the colony by trying to capture these to machines."

He resumed his typing. He wondered what would happen now. These machines were clearly top secret and he doubted that the authorities would just let all of them walk away after seeing these things, and in the case of Kira and himself, pilot these mobile suits. Though his aunt did work for Morgenroete, so that may help them out a little bit. Maybe she'd be able to convince them to let Liz and the others go, while he and Kira would help them make a better OS for these machines.

When he finished rewriting the OS, Chris decided to climb out of the Raven. As he stepped out of the cockpit, there was a gunshot followed by the GDI officer yelling, "Get out of those machines!"

Deciding that he was not about to argue with an armed military officer, Chris quickly climbed down the Raven as Tolle and Kuzzey who had standing on the Strike, climbed down.

"Stop! What are you doing?!" Kira shouted. "They helped get you of the cockpit and tended to wound."

"I am grateful for your help." the Lieutenant said. "But these two machines are part of a top secret military project. It isn't something civilians should be allowed to touch carelessly."

"Well _that's_ some gratitude!" The girl shouted as she was a little angry at what the female officer.

"Ah c'mon. Kira and Chris were piloting those things not to long ago." Tolle said.

She ignored Tolle and motioned with her gun for everyone to get together in one group. Which they quickly did.

"Now tell me your names." she ordered.

"Kuzzey Buskirk."

"Sai Argyle."

"Miriallia Haw."

"Tolle Koenig."

"Elizabeth Dante."

"Chris Dante."

Kira defiantly glared at her for a moment. "Kira Yamato."

The girl hesitated a little, but gave the woman her own glare and answered. "Cagalli Yula."

"Lt. Murrue Ramius. I'm an officer of the Global Defense Initiative." Lt. Ramius said. "I'm sorry to tell you this, but I can not allow any of you to leave."

"What?!" was everyone's response, expect for Chris, who had already expected this.

"As I said, you have been exposed to a military secret and until I can reach the proper authorities and they can determine what to do with all of you, I can not allow you to leave my sight."

"We're citizens of Orb. You can't boss us around." Tolle said definitely.

Chris shook his head. "In case you haven't noticed Tolle, she's got a gun. So you probably shouldn't antagonize her."

"You should listen to him. It will make things easier on everyone." Lt. Ramius said. "Now, where is Johanna and Nick Dante?"

"She left, saying that she was going to find one of the Striker Packs for the Strike." Chris answered he then hesitated. "But Uncle Nick, he…" He couldn't say anymore and Murrue understood and nodded.

"Very well." she said as she lowered her gun. "Okay, Chris, Kira, and Cagalli, I want one of you to get back in one of the mobile suits and get on the radio and try to contact any surviving members of GDI in Heliopolis."

"I'll do it." Chris said. "The Raven has more power than the Strike does at the moment."

"No, I'll do it." Cagalli said sharply. "Besides, I need to start the Guardian up anyway.

Murrue nodded and allowed Cagalli to go.

* * *

When Cagalli was told she would have to get inside the cockpit of the machine she was with, she was rather reluctant, considering things. But she had vowed that she would protect the Guardian and whatever this EVA was. With that, she climbed inside and began starting the mobile suit up. She then noticed another switch with a small computer screen right next to it near the right side of the cockpit and flicked it. The computer screen turned on and words appeared on it followed by a feminine mechanical voice was heard inside the cockpit.

"_**System online."**_ The voice said, matching the words on the screen. _**"Pilot, please state your name for voice recognition."**_

Cagalli hesitated, but she knew she had to if she was going to have this machine cooperate with her. "C-Cagalli Yula."

A few seconds passed as the machine processed her name. _**"Voice pattern unrecognized. Are you the designated pilot of the Guardian?"**_

"I am." Cagalli replied.

"_**Voice pattern accepted and acknowledged."**_ The machine said before the computer screen switched to a start up mode. The OS in front of her turned on with the swooping eagle emblem of the Global Defense Initiative appeared along with an acronym.

**G**eneral  
**U**nilateral  
**N**euro-link  
**D**ispersive  
**A**utonomic  
**M**aneuver system

"Gundam?" Cagalli read, but her thoughts were interrupted as the computer voice spoke again.

"_**Greetings, Cagalli, I am EVA. Electronic Video Assistant. My function is to provide the pilot with technical and tactical data during combat."**_ EVA said as it showed Cagalli the technical specs of the Guardian as well as the acronym for EVA. _**"My programming allows me to assist the pilot in operating this mobile suit, the GAT-X208 Guardian."**_

"Well that's good." Cagalli murmured to herself. She then looked at EVA's screen. "EVA, are the communications of this thing operable?"

It took a moment for EVA to process the question but it answered. _**"Affirmative."**_

Cagalli nodded. "Good, I need you to get in touch with any GDI forces in the area."

"_**Understood, Cagalli,"**_ EVA intoned. _**"Opening all GDI frequencies."**_

"This is the GAT-X208 Guardian. Any members of the GDI forces still in Heliopolis please respond." Cagalli called over the radio.

No response. So she tried again. Again no response. She couldn't help but wonder if there were any GDI Forces left alive in Heliopolis. She tried a few more times with no success.

"Damn it!" She cursed before looking at EVA. "EVA, why can't I get through to anyone!?"

"_**There may be Neutron Jammers still in effect."**_ EVA replied calmly.

"Great!" She stepped out of the cockpit. "I can't get anything! Either we're being jammed or...there's no one left to here my calls!"

"Alright then, you can come down! We'll try again a little later!" Lt. Ramius replied.

As she climbed back down, a large truck pulling trailer pulled up. The truck stopped near the Strike and Chris' aunt stepped out.

"Lt. Ramius, it's good to see you're up." she said as she walked towards them. "I got the Launcher Striker."

"Good. Let's get this thing hooked up." Ramius said.

"Kira, get back in the Strike while I get the Launcher Striker ready for you." Johanna said as she back to the truck.

She stepped back into the cab of the truck. She pushed a button on the dashboard. The trailer folded open revealing the Launcher Striker.

"Kneel down with the Strike's back facing in the side of trailer."

Kira followed her orders, bringing the Strike next to the trailer.

* * *

Inside the Guardian, EVA beeped loudly, catching only Cagalli's attention. Cagalli ran up to the cockpit.

"What is it, EVA?"

"_**Alert, enemy mobile suit detected."**_ EVA's words stunned Cagalli and she ran back towards the others but stopped, hearing an explosion.

* * *

"Okay. I'm gonna mount the entire unit on the-"

A loud explosion from above interrupted Johanna and everyone looked up. There was a ball of fire coming from a part of the central shaft of Heliopolis. A ZAFT CGUE emerged from the fireball, followed by an EA Moebius Zero and a customized Moebius.

* * *

Inside his cockpit, Conrad couldn't help but notice the three mobile suits in the park.

"Mu, check it out!" He called to his wingman.

"_The final units."_

"They must've managed to avoid capture." Conrad said with a slight smile. "Finally, some good news."

He and Mu had started to engage Rau Le Creuset only a few minutes after ZAFT's GINNs had retreated. It had pretty much been a game of cat and mouse. They chased Le Creuset through Heliopolis' shaft without success. Mu's Zero had lost all its gunbarrels as a result of the engagement and Conrad pretty much wasted all of his ammo.

* * *

"Chris! Cagalli! Get in the Raven and the Guardian now!" Johanna shouted.

The second he had seen the ZAFT machine, Chris had already started running to the Raven. He quickly climbed into the machine and turned it on as Johanna started to mount the Launcher Striker on the Strike. Cagalli was already inside the Guardian getting ready to move it.

* * *

"EVA, what kind of weapons is this thing equipped with?" Cagalli asked the AI in a hurried voice.

"_**The Guardian is equipped with two 115mm machine guns mounted in the forearms,"**_ EVA answered. _**"As well as two beam cannons mounted in the backpack, and two CIWS cannons mounted in the head. I recommend activating the phase shift armor before engaging the enemy."**_

"Phase shift armor?" Cagalli repeated and started looking for a button or switch that activates it. She then pressed one of the buttons she had found and sure enough the Guardian's armor changed from a gun metal grey to a dark purple and white with black trims.

During this, the CGUE sliced off part of the barrel of the Moebius' gun, rendering it helpless and now had it's eye set on the Strike, the Raven, and the Guardian.

"_**Enemy mobile suit approaching,"**_ EVA informed Cagalli. _**"The Raven is engaging the enemy."**_

"I know!" Cagalli snapped. "I don't need a play-by-play!" She then gripped the controls and began moving the Guardian, albeit slowly. She then lifted the right arm of the Guardian and fired a burst of machine gun fire at the CGUE. But the shot missed, without having the CGUE having to dodge.

"Damn it!" Cagalli cursed, punching the screen in front of her. "The calibrations are off!" She turned to EVA. "EVA, can you recalibrate the weapons?"

"_**I will not have the necessary time,"**_ EVA said. _**"The enemy will be on us before I can even do so."**_

"Oh great, _now_ you tell me!"

* * *

Chris aimed the Raven's arm cannon at the CGUE and opened fire. But CGUE effortlessly dodged every shot as it flew towards them.

_'Damn. This guy is good. Gonna have to try something different or we're all gonna die. Well, let's see what this thing can do in the air.'_

The Raven leapt into the air, it's thrusters blazing. Chris fired it's cannon at the CGUE as it flew away from where the Strike was. He had to distract the ZAFT machine long enough for the Launcher Striker to be mounted on the Strike and for Liz and the others to get away from the area.

And sure enough, the CGUE turned and began to fire at him as it dodged the energy shots.

_'Yes, follow the little birdie. Don't worry about the defenseless machine on the ground.'_

Chris honestly didn't know how long he could hold out by himself against this machine. The pilot was clearly an experienced ace and he on the other hand, was piloting a mobile suit for the second time.

* * *

Rau Le Creuset was beginning to become annoyed. Athrun had reported that not only had the Strike stayed in the hands of GDI but that the supposedly scrapped seventh and eighth machines had been built and was still in their hands. He had rendered that pest, Mu La Flaga, defenseless while Conrad Hirsch had lost all his ammo and he too was defenseless, and now had been about to destroy the two deactivated mobile suits, when the seventh machine, the GAT-X305 Raven if he recalled correctly, came online and started firing at him and trying to draw him away from the other machine. Which the Raven's pilot had succeeded in doing. The Guardian did the same, but unlike the Raven, the Guardian's weapons missed him completely meaning that it was not completed yet. After all, he couldn't exactly destroy the Strike while those other active mobile suits were firing at him. Rau had to admit that the pilot had some skill, but he was clearly a rookie pilot. The Guardian's pilot, however, was a complete amateur.

"You're pretty good with a gun but let's see how you fair against a sword." he said as he switched from the CGUE's rifle to it's sword.

* * *

Chris heard over the radio, "You're pretty good with a gun but let's see how you fair against a sword."

The CGUE suddenly switched from it's gun to it's sword and charged. Chris quickly fired the arm cannons at the ZAFT machine, but it sidestepped every shot as it rocketed towards him.

At the last second, Chris blocked the sword with the shield part of the Raven's cannon while it's left hand reached for the beam saber on the right side of it's waist.

He drew the saber, activated it and slashed at the CGUE, but it quickly parried the blow with it's own sword.

Chris swung again and again at the CGUE. Every time, it effortlessly dodged, sidestepped, blocked or parried his attacks. While when ever it attacked, Chris barely did the same.

_'Damn. This guy is really good. At this rate, unless Kira can lend me a hand, I'm not gonna last much longer.'_

* * *

Elsewhere

Aboard the Archangel

Lt. Natarle Badgiruel and the handful of crew members that currently had made up the bridge crew of the Archangel rushed to get the Archangel online. They had been attacked by ZAFT. The captain, the command crew, the G-Pilots, and majority of the crew that had been outside the Archangel when the bombs when off, were dead. And they had no idea what was going on outside of the hanger.

"All systems are green. We're ready to go." Chandra reported.

Unfortunately, there was no way for them to open the hanger doors, if they were even still operational. So they were gonna have to a make a door.

"Take us out, maximum speed." Lt. Badgiruel ordered. "When the ship reaches maximum speed, fire the Lohengrins."

A minute later, as the Archangel neared the hanger doors, the two powerful Lohengrin cannons fired. Destroying the doors in a massive explosion.

* * *

Elsewhere

Everyone heard and felt the explosion. Everyone stopped and looked up. There a massive fireball tearing through a part of Heliopolis. They all watched as the Archangel flew through the fireball.

_'First a ZAFT attack, now this. What else is gonna happen today?'_ Chris thought.

'_That must be the new warship.'_ Cagalli thought as she looked in awe at the massive white ship. _'How could you do this father?'_

**End Phase**

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter. Now for those who haven't played the C&C games, Oxanna is the blonde bombshell from C&C2 and CABAL is Nod's version of EVA. EVA is the computer used primarily by GDI in the C&C games. Now don't forget to review, because I like reviews.


	5. Phase 03: Colapsing Land

**A/N: **Well, I finally did it. I finished chapter 3. It took me a while, but I finally did it. Now many people are making very good guesses on the Nod spy in ZAFT. Keep guessing guys; I will reveal them in due time.

Disclaimer: I do not own Command and Conquer or Mobile Suit Gundam Seed. Command and Conquer belongs to EA Games and Westwood Studios. Mobile Suit Gundam Seed belongs to Sunrise. Chris and Elizabeth Dante, Saul Kessel, and most other characters that are not original to Gundam Seed belong to Akatsuki_Leader13. I only own Conrad Hirsch and his Mobile armor.

* * *

January 25 C.E. 71

Heliopolis

Chris stared at the warship as it flew into Heliopolis. It wasn't a ZAFT vessel. If it was, it would have blasted through Heliopolis's superstructure. This ship had come from within Heliopolis's superstructure. This meant that it had been built here, likely along with the mobile suits. But it still raised the question, was it an enemy or a friend?

The CGUE switched from its sword back to its rifle and flew towards the warship. It strafed the warship, but it caused little to no damage to the ship.

"Guess that answers my question." he said to himself.

The CGUE turned and it looked like it was about to perform another strafing run on the ship, when it flew downwards. Heading towards where the Strike was and...

_'Liz!'_

Cagalli couldn't help but stare at the newest arrival to the battlefield with awe. She knew that Morgenroete was building mobile suits and a warship in Heliopolis, but she had not anticipated the warship to still be in one piece.

Her thoughts were interrupted as EVA spoke, _**"Weapon calibrations complete, all weapons are now at one hundred percent accuracy."**_

Cagalli blinked as she heard that. "Wow that was fast, EVA." She then gripped the controls tighter and charged at the CGUE right behind the Raven.

Chris pushed the Raven as his as it could go. He had to intercept the CGUE before it attacked. But it was too late, the CGUE opened fire on the Strike and the people near it.

"NO!!" Chris shouted.

The Strike knelt down in front of the path of the CGUE's bullets, protecting Liz, Johanna and the others.

"Damn coward!" Chris yelled as he fired the Raven's cannon at the CGUE.

"Take this!" Cagalli shouted as she fired the wrist machine guns again, this time with more accurate aim.

The CGUE flew upwards, dodging the shots. As it did, the Archangel fired four missiles at the CGUE. The CGUE destroyed two of the missiles but the other two missed and hit Heliopolis's central shaft.

_'Damn it. We can't risk anymore damage to Heliopolis.'_

Suddenly, Chris heard a beeping noise. It was coming from the power status bar. The Raven's power was at thirty percent.

_'Damn.' _

"Kira, Cagalli," he called over the comm. "I'm low on power and I doubt Heliopolis is gonna be able to take much more. We have to end this fight now. I'll try to keep him busy, Cagalli, I'll need you're help on that. Kira, you try to hit him with that big gun of your's. Got it?"

"Got it." Kira replied.

"Right behind you!" Cagalli answered.

Chris aimed and fired the cannon at the ZAFT mobile suit. Yet again, the skilled pilot of the CGUE avoided the shots. The CGUE turned its attention back to him and raised it rifle at him. But he didn't get a shot off as the Guardian fired a few more bursts from its wrist machine guns again and the pilot was forced to dodge again and aim its weapon at the Guardian.

It was about to fire when a massive beam streaked towards it. The ZAFT pilot barely dodged the beam, but his mobile suit lost its right arm. Unfortunately, the beam continued traveling and pierced Heliopolis's superstructure.

"No..." Chris said weakly as the CGUE fled through the hole in Heliopolis.

Heliopolis had been devastated. Chris couldn't help but wonder if Heliopolis could recover from such damage.

"My god…" Cagalli whispered in shock. She couldn't believe the firepower the Strike was capable of. "EVA, what's the status of the colony?"

"_**Scanning structural integrity."**_ EVA intoned. _**"The colony has sustained five percent structural damage and has lost ten percent of life support. Any further damage to the outer surface of the colony will deplete all life support and oxygen."**_

"Damn," Cagalli whispered.

"_Cagalli,"_ Kira's voice interrupted her over the comm. _"We've been instructed to land on the Archangel."_

"I'll be right behind you Kira." Cagalli answered after a few seconds before closing the comm. She then turned her attention to the AI in the cockpit with her. "EVA,"

"_**Yes Cagalli?"**_

"Can you put a lock on the Guardian's OS?"

"_**May I ask why?"**_ EVA inquired.

"To be honest," Cagalli answered. "I don't trust anyone within GDI to operate the Guardian; especially with Heliopolis as it is now. So can you put a lock on the Guardian's OS or not?"

"_**Affirmative," **_EVA answered her. _**"I can lock the mobile suit down and can activate it on a vocal password."**_

"Good," Cagalli nodded. "As soon as I land in the Archangel's hanger, I want you to lock down the Guardian's OS and only reactivate it on my voice."

"_**Do you have a password in mind, Cagalli?"**_ The AI asked her as they slowly approached the warship.

"I do," Cagalli answered. "The password is Uzumi."

For a few seconds EVA said nothing but Cagalli could tell that it was processing the password. _**"Password accepted and verified."**_

"Also, EVA," Cagalli said. "I want you to shut down your system until I reactivate the Guardian. I don't want GDI to know about you just yet."

"_**I understand Cagalli,"**_ EVA acknowledged her. _**"May I do all this after you have left the Guardian's cockpit?"**_

"Yes."

* * *

A Short While Later

Aboard the Archangel

The Strike, the Raven, and the Guardian landed inside one the Archangel's mobile suit catapults. They knelt down, side by side, and lowered their hands, allowing their precious cargo to get off. Lt. Ramius, Tolle, Kuzzey, and Mir got off the hands of the Strike while Liz, Sai, and Johanna stepped off the hands of the Raven.

"Lt. Ramius!" Ensign Badgiruel called as she and members of the Archangel's surviving crew ran towards the people and the mobile suits.

"Ensign Badgiruel."

Badgiruel saluted her superior. "I'm relived to see that you're alright."

Ramius returned her salute. "You as well. I'm pleased to see that you were able to protect the Archangel. You do realize that you saved our lives."

"Indeed." Johanna said as she stepped forward. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, Ensign Badgiruel. That CGUE would have likely would have destroyed the Raven, likely the Strike, and probably the Guardian."

At that moment, the cockpits of the Raven, Strike, and Guardian opened and Kira, Chris, and Cagalli all climbed out.

The Archangel's crew stared in disbelief at the three teenagers climbing out of the three top secret mobile suits.

"Come on." Chief Murdoch said. "What's going on here? Those machines were piloted by a bunch of kids."

"Lt. Ramius, Mrs. Dante, what's going on here?" Badgiruel asked.

The two were about to explain what happened, when a man interrupted. "Wow. Now this is a surprise."

A blond haired man wearing a purple EA flight suit walked towards the group. He was followed by a brown haired man who wore a flight suit similar to his, except it was more of a crimson red. "I'm Lt. Mu La Flaga of the 7th Orbital Fleet." he said as he saluted.

The other man saluted. "Lt. Conrad Hirsch, same unit."

The crew of the Archangel returned the salutes.

"I'm Lt. Murrue Ramius of Sector 2, 5th Special Division."

"Ensign Natarle Badgiruel of the same division."

"Johanna Dante of Morgenroete."

Mu nodded. "We'd like permission to come a board. Who's in charge here?"

Ensign Badgiruel looked hesitant for a moment before answering, "The captain and all of the officers of this ship have all died in the explosions at the beginning of the attack."

"What?" Murrue said in disbelief.

"Therefore, I believe Lt. Ramius is now in command." Badgiruel said. "There are only a dozen or so of us left, mostly non-commissioned officers and workers from Morgenroete."

Mu sighed. "Oh, man. What a disaster."

Conrad then looked at Murrue. "Well, in any case, permission to come aboard Lt. Ramius?"

"Permission granted." Murrue replied, almost hesitantly.

Mu nodded and glanced over at the group of teenagers standing around the mobile suits. "And who are those three?"

Johanna answered. "The one who piloted the Strike is Kira Yamato and the Raven's pilot is my nephew, Christopher Dante. The girl is Cagalli Yula, she piloted the Guardian. They stumbled into the factory district when we were under attack. Thanks to their help we were able to defeat a pair of GINNs, drive off that CGUE and protect the last three machines."

"What?! These two kids were able to defeat two GINNs?" Natarle said in surprise, pointing at Kira and Chris.

"What happened to the pilots of the G-Units?" Mu asked.

"They were with the captain at the time of the attack and died as well." Natarle replied.

Conrad sighed disdainfully. "Well that's just dandy."

Mu approached Kira and Chris. "You two are Coordinators, aren't you?"

The crew of the Archangel collectively gasped.

"Yes." they both answered.

A group of armed soldiers suddenly pointed at the group of teenagers.

"What the hell are you doing!?!" Cagalli shouted, putting herself in front of Chris and Kira. "Just because they're Coordinators doesn't automatically make them part of ZAFT! So put your guns away!"

"Lower your rifles men." Lt. Ramius ordered.

The soldiers hesitantly complied.

"Lieutenant, I would like an explanation." Badgiruel said.

"It's not that surprising, considering Heliopolis belongs to a neutral nation. So, it'd natural to find Coordinators, who wished to avoid the war altogether, living here. Am I wrong?"

"No, you're right." Kira answered. "Especially since I'm a first-generation Coordinator."

"Which means your parents are Naturals." Mu said. "What about you?"

"Lt. Ramius is right about me and my sister." Chris answered. "We're both second-generation Coordinators and we were born in the PLANTS. But our parents, fearing that a war was going to break out, moved to Heliopolis to live with our aunt and uncle shortly before the war broke out."

"Than are your parents still living here?" Murrue asked.

Chris nodded his head. "Yes, they're both doctors working at the hospital."

Mu then focused his attention on Cagalli. "What about you? Are you a Coordinator too?"

Cagalli looked insulted. "No, I'm a Natural." She sharply answered, catching everyone by surprise.

"I'm sorry for causing such a fuss." Mu said. "I was just curious. Nothing more."

"Well next time, keep your curiosity to yourself!" Cagalli snapped.

"So what do we do now?" Natarle asked.

"Now? Well, we've just been shot down and the Le Creuset Team is waiting outside for us. He's a persistent fellow; he'll be waiting for us. Especially after that defeat you three gave him." Conrad said, crossing his arms.

"Wait. You're saying that the pilot that guy Kira, Cagalli, and I had fought and managed to beat a short while ago was the ZAFT ace, Rau Le Creuset?" Chris said in disbelief.

Mu nodded.

"How did we manage that?"

"I'd have to say it was a little bit of skill and a lot of luck." Mu replied.

* * *

Elsewhere

Aboard the Gamow

"D-Equipment? Does Commander Le Creuset plan on storming a fortress or something?" Yzak said.

"What's gonna happen to Heliopolis?" Nicol asked in concern.

"It's gonna be bad." Saul said as he watched a GINN being armed with heavy missiles. "A single misfire could cause massive damage to Heliopolis."

"It serves them right." Yzak said. "Calling themselves a neutral state. What a joke."

"So, the people of Heliopolis should suffer for the crimes of the people who run the Orb government. For the crimes of something they weren't even aware of?" Saul asked before shaking his head. "Cause that's what's gonna happen with those heavy weapons."

Yzak, Nicol and Dearka didn't say anything.

Saul sighed. "This whole situation really sucks."

No one disagreed with him; except one.

'_This will teach Orb a lesson they won't soon forget.'_

* * *

Elsewhere

The Bridge of the Archangel

Lieutenants Ramius, Hirsch, and La Flaga, Ensign Badgiruel, and Johanna Dante stood on the bridge discussing their situation.

"We've loaded up the last of the surviving supplies from Morgenroete. Chief Murdoch is currently overseeing the resupplying of the Strike, the Guardian, and the Raven as well as the repairs for your Moebius Zero and Moebius units." Johanna reported. "The Strike, the Guardian, and the Raven should be combat ready in about 10 to 15 minutes, though I can probably get the crews to speed things up. The Moebius Zero, however, won't be combat ready for quite sometime. But Lieutenant Hirsch's Moebius should be ready in 5 minutes.

"Thank you." Murrue said as she sat in the captain's chair.

"So, what's our next move?" Johanna asked.

"Once the Strike, the Guardian, and the Raven are resupplied, we'll leave before anymore damage befalls Heliopolis." Murrue replied.

"So you're gonna rely on Chris and Kira then?"

"What?" Badgiruel interrupted. "You can't be serious about letting those kids pilot the mobile suits again. Shouldn't Lt. La Flaga pilot two of them at least?"

"Have you taken a look at the operating systems for the Raven and the Strike?" Mu said. "An ordinary human couldn't pilot those machines."

"And before you ask about having them change the OS of the G-Units back to their original format, you should now that the original OS didn't work that well. And don't ask me to try to rewrite the OS for Naturals. That's not my field of expertise. I worked on the bodies of the machines, not the programming." Johanna said. "So, we're gonna have to rely on them for protection."

"What about the Guardian?" Natarle tried again. "That girl, Cagalli, was able to pilot it, so maybe Lieutenant La Flaga should be able to."

"About that," Conrad interjected. "Chief Murdoch just told me that he and his crew tried activating the Guardian, but the OS is completely locked down."

"What?" Natarle looked at him incredulously, as did Murrue and Mu. Joanna, on the other hand, didn't look surprised; she knew what could've locked the Guardian's OS.

"Apparently, the young lady may be a Natural, but she's also a wiz at locking computer systems." Conrad explained. "It's password protected and voice activated. She's practically made it so that she herself will pilot the Guardian."

"But she's just a kid." Natarle continued to object.

"She did seem adamant in wanting to pilot the Guardian." Joanna cut into the conversation. "It seems we may have no choice but to rely on her as well."

"I agree." Murrue said. "Without Lt. La Flaga's mobile armor, the Raven, the Guardian, the Strike, and Lieutenant Hirsch's mobile armor are our only means of defense from ZAFT's mobile suits. And they are the only ones that can pilot those machines are those three kids."

"But Lt. Ramius, we can't just allow three civilians, much less three children, to operate top secret military hardware." Badgiruel argued.

"It's a long way to the moon, and I highly doubt that we'll be able to get there without a fight." Mu said. "And without those machines we're pretty defenseless against mobile suits."

Ensign Badgiruel hesitated for a moment but ultimately didn't say anything.

"Well, now that that's out of the way, I'm going back to the hanger to see if I can get the crews to hurry up." Johanna said as she started to walk out of the bridge.

Murrue stood up and said, "I'll go talk to Kira, Chris, and Cagalli about this. Lt. La Flaga, the bridge is yours."

* * *

Archangel Crew Quarters

"No. I won't do it." Kira said upon hearing what Lt. Ramius wanted from them.

Chris on the other hand, wasn't sure what to do. He really didn't want to get involved in the war that had taken so much from him, yet at the same time, his sister, his aunt, his friends, were all on board of this ship and he had the power to protect them.

"Please don't get us anymore involved than you already have." Kira continued. "We know there is a war going on out there but we don't want any part of it. That's why we chose to live here in a neutral nation."

"Well that's pretty selfish of you." Cagalli's voice interjected, catching their attention.

"Selfish?"

"You heard me. Do you honestly think that anyone aboard this ship wants to be involved in the fighting? We don't, but we've been pulled into this war and most of us are willing to do what it takes to survive." She admonished him, crossing her arms. "So I don't know about you, but I'm not just gonna sit here and let ZAFT just waltz into this colony and damage it any further than they already have!"

Murrue nodded, having Cagalli's answer. "What about you Chris?"

"I'll do it." Chris said.

Kira, Liz, Tolle and everyone else started at him in surprise. So Chris explained his decision.

"Now, I don't want you to think that I'm calling you a coward or selfish, Kira, cause I'm not. But as long as my friends and family are on this ship and I have the power to protect them, I will." He turned to Ramius and added, "But make no mistake, I will not fight offensively against ZAFT. I'll only fight to protect this ship and the people I care about on board."

"I understand. Thank you." Lt. Ramius said. "I suppose two is better than none."

_"Lt. Ramius. Report to the bridge at once."_ a voice on the intercom spoke.

Ramius stepped over to a nearby comm. panel.

"What is it?" she asked.

Mu's voice answered. _"There are mobile suits approaching. Get back up here and assume command. You're the captain."_

A surprised look crossed her face. "I am?"

_"I have seniority, but I don't know the first thing about this ship."_

"Very well. Prepare the Archangel for takeoff. Order all hands to level one battle stations. Is your mobile armor ready?"

_"No."_

"What about Lt. Hirsch?"

_"His mobile armor's ready to go, he should be able to fly."_ Mu said.

"Then Lt. La Flaga, please take charge of the CIC." Ramius turned around and added, "Chris, Cagalli, get to the hanger and into your mobile suits. You'll have to go out with Lt Hirsch by yourselves."

"Actually." Liz said as she stepped forward. "I could pilot the Strike."

Chris response to his sister was simple, "NO."

"But I'm a Coordinator. I can pilot the Strike just fine." Liz argued.

"I said no. I'll go out with Cagalli and Lt. Hirsch myself."

"That's suicide and you know it!"

"I don't care! I'd prefer risking my own life rather than let you go out there with me!"

"Enough." Lt. Ramius said, interrupting their argument. "If Kira does not want to pilot one of the Strike and you wish to pilot it than I'll allow you to pilot it."

"You can't be serious!" Chris shouted.

"We don't have any other choice." Ramius said.

"You people aren't being fair!" Kira said, his fists clenched and shaking at his sides.

"Nobody said it was fair, Kira!" Cagalli snapped at him, making him flinch. "You can stay here and mope if you want, but me, Chris, and Liz can go out there and take care of this ourselves!"

Kira hesitated, letting Cagalli's words sink in, he then took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine, I'll do it."

"Alright then. C'mon you two, we don't have much time." Chris said.

Kira and Cagalli nodded and the three of them sprinted to the hanger.

"Thanks Kira for changing your mind. If you hadn't, my sister really would have piloted the Strike and risked her life out there." He than added, more to himself than to Kira, "This war has taken too much from me already."

* * *

The Archangel's Hanger

Chris sat in the Raven's cockpit which was now in the port mobile suit catapult. Kira and the Strike were in the starboard catapult. Cagalli had asked to launch last—something about some final OS adjustments. Conrad was going to launch first since he was the only pilot who was also an officer and at the ready.

"You kids nervous?" Conrad asked over the comm.

"A little." Kira answered.

"Same here." Chris said.

Cagalli didn't say anything, but Conrad knew better. "Cagalli?"

"Yeah," She said finally. "I guess I am a little nervous."

"Good." Conrad said, surprising them. "There's nothing wrong with being nervous before going into battle. It will help keep you focused; I've seen a lot of soldiers survive because they were nervous before going into battle. So watch your backs out there okay?"

"Roger." The kids answered almost at the same time.

Johanna's voice came over the radio. "Alright, Kira, we're equipping the Strike with the Sword Striker, so we won't have a repeat of last time. Hold on for a second."

There was a pause.

"There's four mobile suits incoming. What? The Aegis? Okay, it the Aegis and three GINNs armed with...WHAT?! Are they nuts?!"

"What is it?" Chris asked.

"The GINNs are armed with heavy weapons used for taking out heavily fortified bases. A single misfire could be disastrous for Heliopolis."

Kira gasped while Chris just shook his head in shock. This was insane. How could ZAFT use those kind of weapons inside of a civilian colony?

"WHAT!?!" Cagalli's voice shouted, making Kira and Chris wince from how her voice reverberated over the comm. "Are they TRYING to destroy this colony!?"

"Cut the chatter, Cagalli." Conrad reprimanded her, after trying to clear the ringing from her earlier outburst. "Okay, now that we know what we're going up against, we know what our priorities are. First and foremost, we need to take out those GINNs before they use that D type equipment on the Archangel; if they miss, Heliopolis is going to have a lot more holes in it."

"What about the Aegis?" Cagalli asked, not knowing that Kira fidgeted inside his cockpit when she mentioned it.

Conrad didn't answer at first; he had done his briefing over the specs of each of the G Weapons before arriving at Heliopolis and he was aware that all of the machines were equipped with phase shift armor, making his linear cannon and Gatling turret obsolete considering the fact that they were ballistic weapons. The Strike, Raven, and Guardian were the only mobile suits that could go toe-to-toe with the Aegis and other stolen G weapons and win if the pilot was skilled or lucky enough. He just hoped the kids were up to it.

"We'll just have to see when we get that far." Conrad finally said. "Alright, bridge, we're ready to go."

"Be careful and good luck." Johanna said as the catapult doors opened.

"Here we go," Conrad sealed his helmet's visor before gripping his mobile armor's controls. "Conrad Hirsch, launching!" A second later, his Moebius was shot out of the Archangel's hanger.

"Chris Dante. Raven taking off!" Chris shouted just before the catapult activated, launching the Raven.

A moment later, the Strike launched, followed by the Guardian.

_'Well, let's give this Mobile Armor Mode a try.'_

Chris pushed the button to transform the mobile suit and a couple seconds later, he found himself sitting in the cockpit of a bird-like mobile armor.

"We need to get rid of these guys before Heliopolis takes anymore damage."

The Strike, the Raven and the Guardian along with Conrad's Moebius sped towards the four enemy mobile suits with the Guardian close behind. When they almost reached them, the two GINNs armed with heavy missiles, broke away from the others and headed towards the Archangel.

"EVA," Cagalli spoke, "Besides the beam weaponry and machine guns, what other features does the Guardian have?

"_**The Guardian's back pack, when deployed over the upper torso, is able to deploy a beam deflection system equipped in the shields."**_ The AI explained, showing a diagram of the Guardian with its backpack folded over the body.

"Beam deflection system?" Cagalli echoed, raising an eyebrow. _'I guess when they designed this thing they must've taken into the idea of someone stealing the other G-weapons and added that feature just in case.'_ Her thoughts were interrupted as EVA spoke again.

"_**The Guardian is also equipped with two missile and torpedo pods."**_

"Torpedoes?" Cagalli blinked as she heard that. _'This thing must be an amphibious mobile suit then.'_ She shook her surprise and concentrated on the ZAFT GINNs that were approaching. "Better stick to the Machine guns and the beam cannons; I don't want to damage Heliopolis any further than it already has been."

"_**Understood,"**_ EVA replied tonelessly.

"Chris, you and I will take out those two GINNs going after the Archangel," Conrad called to them. "Kira, Cagalli, take care of the last one and the Aegis."

"Roger!"

With that, the Moebius and the Raven split from the Strike and the Guardian and went after the first two GINNs.

The GINNs were fast but the Raven in its Mobile Armor Mode and Conrad's Moebius were faster. One of the GINNs, seeing the two of them catching up to them, turned around and fired a trio of missiles from its ankle mounted missile pods. Chris opened fire with the Raven's shoulder mounted guns at the missiles, destroying two of them and evaded the third. Conrad did a series of loops to avoid the last missile and fired a burst from his Gatling turret, destroying it.

_'Not bad. But it's gonna take more than that to get rid of me.' _Chris thought as he and Conrad closed the gap between them and the two mobile suits.

One of the GINNs fired two of its large missiles and some of its ankle mounted missiles at the Archangel. The Archangel performed evasive maneuvers as it's point defenses opened fire, destroying the large missiles and dodging most of the smaller ones. The missiles that missed hit Heliopolis, further damaging the already damaged colony.

"Stop it!" Chris shouted as he transformed the Raven back into its Mobile Suit Mode and fired its cannon at the GINN.

"If this keeps up, Heliopolis won't last much longer!" Conrad cursed as he fired a couple shots from his rail gun at the GINN.

The GINN dodged the twin shots from the Raven and fired off the last two heavy missiles and its remaining smaller missiles at Conrad's mobile armor, before discarding the launchers and pulling out its holstered rifle and firing. Chris fired both the arm cannon and the Igelstellungs, desperately trying to destroy as many of missiles as he could before they hit him or Heliopolis. Conrad fired a few bursts from his Gatling turret and forward guns to assist. They managed to destroy one of large missiles and a couple of smaller ones. He aimed at the second large missile and was about to fire when the GINN fired a upon him, throwing his aim off and missing the missile. The missile impacted the central shaft of Heliopolis, damaging it.

"Damn it! I missed!" he shouted as he turned and fired at the GINN.

"Concentrate, Chris!" Conrad called as he joined the fray with a few more bursts from his Gatling guns.

The GINN dodged the first two pairs of high-velocity rounds as well as the tracer rounds from Conrad, but the second shot from the Raven of the third pair tore through its left leg, but unlike the last one, this one kept fighting rather than fleeing. Seeing no other option, Chris aimed and fired one last shot. The twin rounds tore through the GINN's chest and a second later, it exploded.

"Nice job, Chris," Conrad said, as he flew up next to the Raven. "Now let's take care of the last one."

Chris barely registered fact that he had just killed someone. This wasn't the time to think about that. Heliopolis and the Archangel were still in danger.

* * *

Elsewhere

Kira wasn't fairing all that well. The pilot of the GINN that was armed with the heavy energy cannon was firing like a maniac, not caring whether he hitting the Strike or Heliopolis. Didn't he realize that he was destroying peoples' homes every time he missed? Kira had to stop him.

Cagalli was flying next to him and was firing a few rounds of her wrist cannons at the GINN, trying to get its attention. But the GINN seemed to be focused on him.

The GINN's pilot, Miguel, was growing angry. He just couldn't seem to destroy the Strike and its Natural pilot. Adding to this was the embarrassment of his previous battle and defeat at the hands of the Strike. Miguel wanted payback. The last mobile suit would have to wait.

"Get behind it Athrun!" he shouted over the radio.

Suddenly, the Aegis, which had stayed out of the fight up to this point, lunged at the Strike from behind.

"_Kira, look out!"_ Cagalli warned Kira over the com.

Kira barely evaded the Aegis. But the second he did, Miguel fired at him again. But Cagalli flew in front of Kira, with the Guardian's backpack unit folded over its head taking the shot. But the Guardian surprised the three of them when the beam struck the Guardian, or rather an invisible barrier that directed the beam AWAY from the two of them.

"What? It deflected the beam!?" Miguel was mortified that the Guardian had done that.

Inside the cockpit of the Guardian, Cagalli made a small sigh of relief. "Well, I guess this beam deflection system works as advertised." She then fired her beam cannons at the GINN in front of her.

Miguel barely dodged the two beams shot at him before turning his attention to the Aegis. "Athrun, see if you can distract that thing while I take care of the Strike."

Athrun complied, almost hesitantly and he charged the Aegis towards the Guardian while Miguel fired another shot at the Strike.

Kira dodged the beam and struck back by throwing the Sword Striker's beam boomerang at it. The GINN dove over the boomerang and prepared to fire again. But Miguel didn't expect the boomerang to return, severing his machine's right leg. Before the pilot could retaliate, Kira struck, driving his large sword through the chest of the GINN, cleaving it in two.

"AAAAAAAARGH!!" Miguel screamed before his mobile suit exploded.

"_**Enemy target destroyed."**_ EVA reported to Cagalli, who had barely dodged an attack from one of the Aegis' weapons and rejoined Kira and the Strike.

"That was close." Cagalli said with a sigh, as she turned to face the Aegis with the odds now two to one.

Kira turned to the Aegis, ready for anything. Kira wasn't sure who the pilot of the Aegis was. He had seen whom he believed to be Athrun steal the machine, but was that same person piloting the Aegis now?

"Kira. Kira Yamato!" Athrun's voice came over the radio.

Kira gasped. He knew that voice. It was Athrun's voice. His oldest friend had been part of the attack on his home and was facing him in combat.

"So it is you, isn't it, Kira?"

* * *

Elsewhere

Chris and Conrad chased after the remaining GINN, who was harassing the Archangel at the moment. However, before they could engage it, the GINN was hit by one of the Archangel's Gottfrieds, destroying the GINN's waist and thighs. Just before it exploded, the GINN fired off all of it's missiles. The missiles flew wildly into the central shaft of Heliopolis. The shaft broke in two, causing Heliopolis to start collapsing all around them.

"No..." Chris said as he watched his home for almost a year crumble into dust.

"Damn it!" Conrad cursed as be braced himself inside his cockpit.

Suddenly, the effects of the massive vacuum that was beginning created, violently pulled on the Raven. He struggled to control the mobile suit, but it was pointless. There was nothing he could do but sit back and pray that he would survive.

* * *

Elsewhere

"Athrun? Athrun Zala?!" Kira said in disbelief. "Why...Why are you here?"

"You should talk!" Athrun shot back. "What are you going in that thing?!"

Before Kira could answer, parts of Heliopolis began to fall all around them. Kira looked around in horror. Heliopolis was tearing itself apart. A few seconds later, both Kira and Athrun found themselves being violently pulled outside the colony.

Kira screamed as he pulled into space. He heard Athrun shout out his name before the Aegis was pulled out in the different direction.

Inside the Guardian, Cagalli couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was a little confused when she saw the Strike and the Aegis stopped fighting and wanted to know what was going on. EVA had informed her that the communications between the two had been opened and she was about to interfere when Heliopolis began breaking apart.

"EVA, what's going on!?" She shouted as she tried to maintain control.

"_**The central shaft of Heliopolis has been destroyed,"**_ EVA said in its calm voice. _**"Heliopolis is beginning to fall apart."**_

"No…" Cagalli whispered helplessly as she and the Guardian were flown into space from the massive vacuum that sucked all the oxygen.

* * *

Elsewhere

Aboard the Gamow

Saul, Nicol, Dearka and Yzak watched as Heliopolis broke apart.

"Heliopolis..." Nicol weakly said.

"Jeez...How the hell did Miguel and the others screw up so badly?" Dearka said.

"The council's gonna have Commander Le Cruset's head for this." Saul solemnly said. "There's no way he can get out of something like this without some form of punishment. Using D-Equipment inside a civilian colony. What was he thinking?"

* * *

Aboard Slavik's Shuttle

As Slavik's Shuttle moved away from the colony, CABAL had reported that Heliopolis had begun to break apart. Deciding to watch, Anton Slavik had ordered a full stop to the shuttle and they and their 'guests' watched as sections of the colony continued to break away. The Dantes could only watch in horror, fearing the lives of their children.

'_Chris…Elizabeth…' _Claire thought to herself, gripping her chest with her right hand while the other clutched her husband's.

In the cockpit, Slavik gave out a small dramatic sigh. "Such a pity," Oxanna looked at him a little confused but he turned to her with a wry grin. "The café inside the colony actually had some great coffee." She returned the grin and readjusted the shuttle's course back to Earth.

* * *

A Short While Later

In the Newly Formed Heliopolis Debris Field

Chris stared out at the debris field of what had been his home for a few days short of a year. But now it was gone. Nothing more than dust in the wind.

"_X3...Ra...05 Str_**…**_dian...res..."_ a static filled voice called over the radio.

A few seconds later, it came back, this time at full strength. _"X305 Raven, X105 Strike, X208 Guardian, Lieutenant Hirsch, please respond."_

"This is the Raven." Chris called over the radio. "Is that you Archangel?"

"_Affirmative Raven."_ the voice of Ensign Badgiruel answered. _"What's your status?"_

"Shaken but I'm okay."

"Can you see the Strike, the Guardian, or Lieutenant Hirsch's mobile armor?"

Chris took a quick look around. He spotted the Archangel in the distance, but couldn't see the Strike, nor could he see the Guardian. But he did see Conrad's Moebius.

"I see Lieutenant Hirsch's mobile armor."

"_See if you can contact him."_

"Right," Chris said, as he approached the mobile armor. "Lieutenant Hirsch, are you alright?" No answer came, and Chris began to worry. "Lieutenant?" He tried again.

This time a groan came over the com. _"I may like flying, but I certainly hate roller coasters."_ Chris sighed in relief when he heard Conrad's voice.

"_Lieutenant Hirsch, what's your status?"_ Natarle's voice spoke again.

"_A little dizzy, but other than that I'm fine."_ Conrad replied.

"_Can you see the Guardian or the Strike from where you are?"_ She asked again.

It took a moment for Conrad to answer. _"Negative, no sign of either of them."_

"_Very well then. Both of you return to the ship."_

"_On our way. Let's go, Chris."_

He started to make his way back to the ship as Ensign Badgiruel continued to call the Strike and the Guardian. A few seconds later, Kira responded, _"Strike here. I'm fine."_

"_Is the Guardian with you?"_ She inquired.

"_This is the Guardian, I'm okay."_ Cagalli's voice entered the com.

"_Do you have the ship's position?"_ Badgiruel asked.

"_Yeah."_ Kira replied.

"_Yes."_

"_Then return to the ship."_

"_Right."_

"_Understood."_

Meanwhile, Chris had made it about a third of the way to the Archangel when spotted a blinking light. A closer inspection revealed a damaged Heliopolis lifeboat.

"Archangel. I've found a damaged lifeboat out here. I'm bringing it in." he called over the radio.

"_What? Who gave you authorization to do that?"_ Badgiruel said.

_'Oh, you gotta be kidding me.'_

"I'm bringing this lifeboat in."

"_You can't just bring in a civilian lifeboat without proper authorization."_

Chris shook his head and pushed some of the buttons next to the radio, filling the radio with static. "What was that Archangel? You're breaking up. I didn't get that last transmission. You can tell me when I come aboard with the lifeboat."

Chris then turned off the radio, picked up the lifeboat, despite Conrad's protests, and headed towards the Archangel.

**End Phase**

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter. I hope you guys didn't wait too impatiently; because I tried my hardest to get this chapter up. Now if you'll excuse me, I have another chapter to begin work on.


	6. Phase 04: Phase Shift Down

A/N: Sorry this took so long folks, with my computer catching a very bad virus and having to take it in to the Geek Squad at Best Buy, they had to dump everything and put new stuff in. But anywho, here's the next chapter. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: See first chapter

* * *

**Phase Four: Phase Shift Down**

**January 25 C.E. 71**

**Aboard the Archangel**

Chris laid on one of the bunks while Kira, Liz and the others were talking amongst themselves. Chris was tired at the moment and didn't really feel like talking. He also wished he hadn't left his guitar in the Professor's lab. Cagalli, on the other hand, was down in the hangar working on the Guardian. She seemed pretty adamant about not letting anyone but herself and his aunt inside the cockpit.

The ship suddenly shook for a moment.

"What was that?" Flay Allster asked.

Flay Allster, one of the people that had been in that lifeboat he had rescued. Chris wasn't all that crazy about her. Sure he found her physically attractive, but her personality irritated him. Stuck up people did that to him. If she wasn't so struck up and wasn't arranged to marry Sai, he probably would have asked her out at some point.

"I think we're on the move." Chris said. "Where we're going, I don't know."

"Ah, Kira, Chris, there you are." Mu said as he and Conrad entered the set of bunks they were sitting at. "Both Murdoch and Johanna asked me to tell both of you and Cagalli that because we're so understaffed, you three are to are responsible for maintaining your machines."

"Our machines?" Kira said. "When did they become our machines?"

"I have to agree with Kira. Don't these machines belong to either Morgenroete or the Earth Forces?" Chris asked as he sat up.

"Technically, you're right. But for the moment, it's been decided that since you're the only ones who can use'em, they're you machines." Conrad said, while looking around the room. "By the way, where _is_ that little firecracker?

"She's down in the hangar working on the Guardian." Chris explained.

"Good, then that makes our job easier." Mu said as he and Conrad turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Kira's voice stopped them in their tracks. "Sure, we piloted those machines twice but we're not soldiers." He argued.

"So the next time they attack and you refuse to pilot it, those will be your last words, huh?" Mu said, crossing his arms.

"I have to agree with them, Kira. Until we get to a GDI base and we can disembark, everyone here is in danger. And at the moment, you, me, and Cagalli are the only ones who can protect the ship and the people on board." Chris said.

"He's right Kira. Both of you have the power to make a difference. Why not put it to good use? We have very little time, including time to think it over." Conrad said before starting to walk away again.

"Excuse me sirs." Sai said. "But where are we going?"

"To the nearby Eurasian military base, Artemis. Of course, we're likely to have some problems actually getting in." Mu answered before he left.

"What do you mean by that?" Liz asked.

"Well, aside from the fact that I think the commander of Artemis is a complete idiot," Conrad said with disgust. "This is technically an Atlantic Federation ship, despite being a part of the Global Defense Initiative; and if memory serves, the Eurasians weren't all that too enthusiastic into entering this war. I should know, I'm from the Eurasian Confederation."

"You are?" Chris said incredulously. "So what you doing with and Atlantic Federation division?"

"Officer exchange program." Conrad said plainly, before clearing his throat. "Anyway, the reason we might have problems is because this ship and the G Weapons are still, technically, top secret. We can't afford any opportunist officers, like the one in charge of Artemis, getting a hold of what we have."

Chris sighed. "Well Kira, should we go down to the hanger?"

"This isn't...I..." Kira mumbled out before running off.

"Kira!" Tolle and Mir shouted.

"I'll go talk to him." Chris said.

"Hold on minute." Flay said. "You mean that you, Kira, and Cagalli were piloting those mobile suits?"

"Yes." Sai said. "You know how one of the mobile suits brought lifeboat you were on. Well, the pilot of that mobile suit was Chris."

Flay turned to Chris "You? You were the one?"

"Yeah."

"But why would the two of you be piloting mobile suits?" she asked.

"Well, my sister, Kira and I are Coordinators." he replied. "And just to tell you, if you're one of those people who discriminates against Coordinators, then do us all a favor and don't say anything."

Flay didn't say anything at first, but then she asked, "But what about Cagalli? Is she a coordinator too?"

Chris shook his head, "No, she's a Natural." That statement confused Flay. "Believe me, we can't explain it ourselves."

Chris stood up and headed towards the hangar after Kira.

* * *

Liz watched her brother and Kira walk away. Ever since Junius 7 was destroyed, he had become bitter towards people who discriminated again Coordinators or Naturals, or in the case of Blue Cosmos, utterly hated.

Of course, things had been different for the first month and a half after their old home was destroyed in a Blue Cosmos terrorist attack. During that time, he became angry at just about everyone and everything. He picked fights with just about anyone. Sometimes he won. Other times he didn't. She and her parents had feared that they'd find him dead in an alley before long. Then, about a month and a half after Junius 7's destruction, their grandfather paid them a visit from Orb. His second night there, he took Chris out for a couple of hours. What was said and done was known only to those two. But when they returned, both were beaten up. Although Chris was unconscious and in worse condition, it made their mother worried at what they had done.

After that, Chris had begun to change. His anger at the world faded away. He stopped going out and picking fights with people. He still got into fights but now he only fought to protect himself and others, much to the relief of their family.

Seeing the uncertainly in Flay's eyes, Liz spoke, "My brother, Kira and myself, may be Coordinators. But we aren't with ZAFT."

"Kira and Chris are both still one of us. Treasured friends." Mir said.

* * *

The Archangel's Hangar

Kira stood before the Strike. Lt. La Flaga's, Lt. Hirsch's, and Chris's words echoing through his mind.

"Just because I can pilot a mobile suit, doesn't mean that I'm a soldier." Kira said to himself.

"Of course it doesn't. Why would that make you a soldier?"

Kira turned to his left. It was Chris with Cagalli behind him.

"Kira, at the moment, both of us aren't soldiers. We're just two guys who are trying to protect what we care about." Chris said as they approached. "When we reach a GDI base and can disembark, then we must decide whether to stay or to go, to become soldiers or to remain civilians. When that time comes, you will decide what you want to do for yourself, just as I will."

"Have you two decided?" Kira asked.

"Actually, I haven't really thought about it. But don't think that what I decide is what you should decide."

"Well I'm staying." The boys looked at Cagalli in shock, who wore a slight frown. "I'm not gonna leave at a GDI base, but I'm also not going to leave the Guardian in the hands of someone who might misuse it."

"So you're going to keep piloting it?" Chris asked.

"Until I'm either dead or I can find someone I can trust with it." Cagalli replied. _'Or at least if we reach Orb.'_

Suddenly, alarms went off.

_"Silhouette detected. Enemy unit detected."_ a voice over the intercom said. _"All military personnel, report to your stations at once. Repeat..."_

"That was fast." Johanna said as she approached the two of them. "Well, come on you three. We need to get you kids into some flight suits."

* * *

Elsewhere

"Looks like we're heading into another battle." Sai commented as the alarms sounded.

"I wonder what Kira and Cagalli have decided." Mir said.

"Well, if Cagalli is as stubborn as I think she is, she's probably gonna stay and fight." Tolle said with a grin.

"But what about Kira?" Mir mentioned.

"If he refuses, our chances of surviving drop considerably." Sai said.

"Hey! My brother and Cagalli will protect us even if Kira doesn't!" Liz shouted at Sai.

"I didn't mean it like that." Sai said in his defense. "I meant that the odds of our survival are greater if the three of them are fighting."

"We should do something." Mir said.

Everyone looked at her in confusion.

"We've been sitting on the sidelines and relying Kira, Chris, and Cagalli to protect us."

"If we have the ability to make a difference, then we should put it to use." Tolle said.

Liz, Sai and Kuzzey nodded in agreement.

* * *

A Short While Later

Kira and Chris started putting on their flight suits. Kira was putting on a light blue one while Chris was wearing a midnight blue one.

Kira had to admit, he was a little surprised that Tolle, Sai, Mir, Liz and Kuzzey had volunteered to help out aboard the ship. Though what was more surprising was that Chris was letting his sister help out, yet earlier he had been against her piloting the Strike.

"Hey Chris."

"Yeah?"

"Why weren't you against your sister helping out now?" Kira asked.

"Well, the Archangel is dangerously understaffed right now. So, she's actually safer if she helps out." Chris answered. "And she's still in the same amount of danger regardless of whether she's a part of the crew or not."

"Well, from the looks of things, you've made up your mind Kira." Mu said as he entered the room in his own flight suit with Conrad clad in his flight suit next to him.

"Yes." Kira said. "Like you, Lt. Hirsch, Cagalli, and Chris said, the three of us are the only ones that can protect this ship and everyone on board. Don't get the wrong idea, I'm not a soldier and certainly don't want to fight. All I want to do is protect the people on board this ship."

"It's the same for all of us." Conrad said. "You won't find many people who fight merely for the sake of fighting. We fight because it's the only way to protect ourselves and what we care about."

"So what's the plan?" Chris asked.

* * *

Aboard the Gamow

Saul Kessel sat in the cockpit of the Surge. Waiting for the order to launch. He had to admit, he was excited to try out the Surge in actually combat. He had studied the machine and all of its capabilities. The Surge was easily the fastest of all the mobile suits. Hell, chances are, it's the fastest mobile suit ever made. He could imagine the men and women of the infamous 11th Autonomous Mobile Fleet under the command of the Black Hawk, desiring to get their hands on this machine, or any of the other mobile suits from Heliopolis for that matter.

He knew that unit well, because his older sister Diana Kessel was the XO.

Saul shuddered at the thought of his older sister. She was the complete opposite of him. Where he was rather lazy, calm, and quiet. She was a real slave driver. Loud, uptight, forceful, and about a dozen other unpleasant words he could use to describe her. She was also a skilled hacker, though much to her annoyance, not as good as him.

Regardless of its commander and XO, the 11th Fleet was still the same outfit. A group of pilots that varied from extremely professional soldiers to soldiers, that if they had been in any other group in military, they would have been kicked out of the military or thrown in a military prison. All and all, they were a wild and unpredictable group of soldiers, who had only two things in common. A tremendous loyalty to their commander, both his sister and John Alaric. And their mobile suits. The machines they piloted were a bunch of heavily customized GINN High Maneuver Types, in fact, it was said that no two mobile suits were exactly the same. All aboard a trio of customized Nazca-class vessels. But that's who the men and women of the 11th Fleet were. A group of wildly different soldiers, who piloted non-standard, customized machines. And they were the most feared and respected space-based unit in ZAFT.

_"Mobile suit pilots prepare for launch."_ the Gamow's Combat Operator said over the radio.

He was up first. Saul moved the Surge onto the catapult. He received the green light to take off.

"Saul Kessel. Surge takin' off."

The catapult activated, the g-forces pushing him back into his seat as the Surge was launched into space.

_'Time to try this baby out.'_

* * *

The Archangel's Hangar

Chris sat in the cockpit of the Raven, waiting for the order to launch. Lt. La Flaga and Lt. Hirsch had taken off a few minutes ago. And soon, he, Cagalli, and Kira would be launching.

_"Load the Aile Striker onto the Strike."_ his aunt's voice called over the radio.

_'Hmm...Aile Striker. That's a new one.'_

_"Kira, Chris, Cagalli."_ Miriallia said over the radio as her face appeared on one of screens on the console.

_"Miriallia?"_ he heard Kira say over the radio.

_"From now on, I will act as the combat operator for the mobile suits and the mobile armors."_ Mir said. _"I'm counting on you three."_

"Don't worry Mir." Chris said. "We're not gonna let anything happen to the ship."

"_And that's a promise."_ Cagalli said with determination.

The ship suddenly shuddered slightly as the Lohengrins fired blindly at the Nazca-class ahead of them.

The catapult doors opened up.

_"Kira Yamato. Strike Gundam launching."_ Kira said before he took off.

_'Gundam? Interesting name. Taking the first letters of each word in the name of the OS. Wish I had thought of that.'_

"Chris Dante. Raven Gundam taking off."

The catapult activated, propelling him forward and into space.

* * *

Inside the cockpit of the Guardian, Cagalli, donned in a magenta flight suit, was making the final checks before she too launched into battle. She couldn't help but admire Lt. La Flaga's plan to attack the ZAFT capital ships while the Guardian, Strike, and Raven keep the mobile suits busy. But she couldn't help but wonder if there was a flaw in the plan; she knew only one way to find out, and that was to consult EVA about it.

**Flashback**

"_EVA, what do you think of the Lieutenant's plan?" Cagalli asked, as she started up the Guardian's OS._

"**Lieutenant La Flaga's plan is a sound plan. However…"** _EVA paused, getting Cagalli's attention._

"'_However' what?" Cagalli said, not liking where this was going._

"**Lieutenant La Flaga's plan is considering if the enemy uses GINNs. Given what has happened to the other G weapons, we may end up going into combat against them."** _EVA explained._

"_Damn," Cagalli muttered bitterly. Even though she was a Natural and was probably the first pilot to operate one of these weapons. Even though she despised them, she had made a promise to Nicholas Dante when he died and if there was one thing she was good at, it was keeping promises._

_So while Kira and Chris were in the bunk rooms with the others, she had gone down to the Guardian's OS with Joanna and EVA guiding her. She knew that she too would have to face the other G weapons in battle, so she had to be prepared just in case. They were fortunate enough to recover the Guardian's only close-quarters combat weapon, a spear of some kind. While it was effective at blocking the swords of most ZAFT units, but against beam weapons like ones the Aegis, Blitz, Surge, and Duel are all armed with, it was better off as a means to try and distract them._

"_Will the plan work, though?" Cagalli asked with slight worry in her voice._

"**I calculate that the plan will be ninety percent victorious."** _EVA answered._

**End Flashback**

"_Guardian, you are cleared for launch."_ Miriallia's voice cut in, breaking Cagalli of her musings.

"Roger," She said, gripping the controls tighter. "Cagalli Yula, Guardian Gundam, launching!"

Within three seconds, the launch catapult activated and propelled the Guardian into space to join the Strike and the Raven.

* * *

_"There's five mobile suits incoming."_ Ensign Badgiruel said over the radio. _"One from the front, four from the rear. It's the Aegis, the Blitz, the Surge, the Duel and the Buster."_

"Okay you two, we're outnumbered, so I think we should stay near the _Archangel_. That way, they can provide us with some support."

_"Right."_ Kira replied.

"_Good idea." _Cagalli nodded.

* * *

The Surge, the Blitz, the Duel and the Buster streaked through space.

"Looks like Athrun's gonna beat us there." Saul said to himself. "Hey Yzak."

_"What?"_

"Athrun's gonna be by himself for awhile against those three machines, waiting for us to get there. I'm going ahead to help him."

_"What? What are you talking about? You can't get there any faster than the rest of us."_

Saul smirked. "Do you know why my machine is called the Surge?"

_"What? What does that have to do with anything?!"_

"Let me show you." Saul said before hitting the throttle to max.

The Surge's thrusters kicked in, causing the mobile suit to literally surged through space towards the Archangel while the g-forces were pushing Saul back into his seat.

_'Wow! I knew this thing was fast but...wow!'_

A few minutes later, he arrived just after Athrun arrived. Athrun went after the Strike. The second machine, the Raven, moved to help its comrade; while the third machine, the Guardian, stayed behind to guard the ship. Saul wasn't about to let Athrun get double-teamed. Saul aimed and fired a trio of warning shots at it. He wasn't about to destroy the Raven when it wasn't even aware of him. That was something cowards and snipers did. Not him.

The Raven stopped, turned to face him and opened fire with its dual rail gun. But Saul, using the Surge's superior speed, dodged with every shot, and returned fire with his beam rifle. Both machines avoided the other's shots as they fired.

_'Hmm...This guy's good. Let's try this.'_

The Surge's left arm shot up and fired its Hakenfaust piercer claw. The Raven dodged the claw and transformed into its mobile armor mode and opened fire with its machine guns as it flew towards him. Saul dove to the left, dodging most of the shots and the few that did hit him, barely scratching the phase-shift armor.

The Raven flew past him. Saul spun the Surge around and fired again as the Raven turned for another pass. Saul fired his rifle at it. The Raven dodged but oddly enough, didn't return fire. It was almost upon him, when its bird-like feet angled up bit and short energy blades activated in the center of its feet.

_'Shit!'_ Saul thought as he barely managed to fly up and avoid it.

The Raven flew past him and transformed back into its mobile suit mode. Then it spun around and fired its rail gun at him again.

_'Why don't we try something a little different?'_ Saul thought as he dodged the shots.

He holstered his rifle and drew his swords and charged as fast as he could get the machine to go. The Raven managed to draw both of its beam swords and block his attack and pushed him back.

"You're pretty good." Saul said over radio to the Raven's pilot. "I'm a little surprised that a Natural could pilot a mobile suit so well."

_"I'm not a Natural."_ the pilot replied.

From the sound of his voice, the pilot was probably around his age.

_"I'm a Coordinator. Same with the pilot of the Strike."_

Now this really surprised him. "What?! Why are you two fighting on a GDI warship?" He then remembered the last machine. "And what about the pilot of that other machine, are they a Coordinator too?"

_"A rather long story."_ the pilot answered. _"The short answer is that my family and friends, who are civilians, are on board that ship. So I'm simply protecting them. As for the Guardian, she's the only one of the 3 of us who's actually a Natural."_

Saul had to admit, that was a very good reason. Hell, he'd do the same thing in his position. But he was surprised to hear that the pilot of the third machine, the Guardian, was both a girl and a Natural.

"Sorry to hear that. It's nothing personal but I got my orders. And I won't insult you by holding back." he said.

_"Same here."_

At that moment, Yzak, Nicol and Dearka arrived.

"Nicol, go help Saul with that machine. Dearka, you get the ship and that third machine. I'll help Athrun." Yzak ordered.

The Blitz appeared and fired at the Raven, causing it to back off.

"_Saul, you alright?"_ Nicol asked.

"I'm fine."

_'Sorry buddy, but I got a job to do.'_

* * *

Elsewhere

Unbeknownst to the combatants, a modified CGUE and a pair of modified GINNs armed with sniper rifles, observed the from afar.

"So those are the new mobiles and the legged ship from Heliopolis." Commander Diana Kessel said as she watched fight. "Quite impressive."

_"Yeah. Those guys at Orb sure know how to make some sweet looking machines."_ Ajay Cortez drawled. _"Unlike those Purifiers that Nod had developed; those things are just plain ugly."_

_"Indeed." _Lucius Raveshaw said. _"Though I have to wonder if getting these machines was worth the destruction of Heliopolis."_

_"Yeah. They should have sent us. Not that masked pansy Creuset and those little boys."_ Ajay said.

"May I remind you, Ajay, that one of those 'little boys' is my younger brother?" Diana said to her subordinate.

_"Sorry ma'am. Didn't mean anything by it ma'am."_ Ajay quickly said to avoid angering his commander.

"Don't worry about it. My younger brother is a lazy, foolish child. But he also happens to be about the only one who can tell what exactly happened to Heliopolis."

_"You suspect that Creuset will lie about the events that led to the destruction of Heliopolis then?"_ Lucius, her right-hand man, asked.

"Through his teeth. Creuset is nothing but a snake." Diana answered. "He'll tell Zala what happened, and then Zala will manipulate the facts and make Orb and GDI look like the villains, like Nod, while Creuset becomes the commander who tried everything to prevent Heliopolis's destruction."

_"What'd you expect from a couple of snakes them?"_ Ajay said in disgust. _"Its 'cause of them and that this war is still going on."_

All three of them were quiet for a moment.

_"Sir. Should we get involved in this battle?"_ Lucius asked.

"No. We'll watch and see how things play out."

* * *

Over by the _Archangel_, the Guardian and the Buster had just fired their beam cannons at one another, each dodging their shots. Cagalli then armed the Guardian's missile tubes and fired 4 missiles towards the Buster. Dearka countered by shooting the missiles with his gun launcher and destroyed them before they could reach his machine. But his celebration was cut short as the Guardian blew though the explosions and swung its staff at the Buster. The Buster blocked the staff with its energy rifle and pushed the Guardian away.

"I gotta admit you're pretty good for a Natural." Dearka said smartly, not bothering to open his radio to the other machine.

The Buster then fired his missiles towards the Guardian. The Guardian moved away from the missiles and fired a few bursts from the machine gun in its left arm to destroy some of them, while the rest flew off harmlessly. But it was the distraction Dearka needed to fire his energy rifle at the Guardian. The Guardian surprised him when the back pack of the Guardian covered the head and the beam bounced off an invisible barrier and away from the machine.

"What the!? It deflected my beam shots?!" Dearka shouted before firing three more shots, each one of them was deflected.

Inside the Guardian, Cagalli grit her teeth as she continued to engage the Buster. Even though this was her first time fighting one of the other G weapons, she had to admit she was having a hard time keeping up with its pilot.

"_**Cagalli, I must advise caution,"**_ EVA interrupted Cagalli briefly. _**"Continued use of the beam deflection system will drain the Guardian's battery. I recommend that you continue to avoid the Buster's beam weapons as much as possible."**_

"Great, _now_ you tell me EVA!" Cagalli shouted before firing her two beam cannons at the Buster again.

Chris dodged the energy blasts from the Surge and the Blitz and returned fire as best he could.

* * *

_"Strike, Raven, where are you? The Guardian needs assistance."_ Ensign Badgiruel said over the radio.

"Little busy right now." Chris replied as he dodged attacks from the Blitz and the Surge while returning fire.

Chris didn't know how much longer they were gonna last. He was barely holding against one of the enemy machines. Now was forced to fight two of them at the same time. And these guys weren't like the GINNs from before. The machines were the counterparts to the Strike and his own machine, which meant that these machines were superior to the GINNs.

Both the Blitz and the Surge fired their claw weapons at him. Chris dove to avoid them and fired a few more rounds from his rail guns at them. Suddenly, there was a warning beep sounded through the cockpit. It was his ammo indicator. He had only eight rounds left, which meant four shots and he was out.

"Damn. Gonna have to be careful now." he said to himself. "I can only fire when I'm absolutely certain I'll hit something."

The Blitz lunged at him with its beam sword. Chris parried the blow with his right sword and kicked the Blitz back. The Surge took this moment to attack with its solid swords. Chris managed to move out of the way. At that moment, a text message appeared on the Raven's console.

_Preparing to fire Lohengrins. Watch out._

Chris took a quick look around. Kira was fighting the Aegis and the Duel. Both he and Kira were out of the danger zone. Cagalli, on the other hand, had managed to drive the Buster off and nearly got herself into the Lohengrin's before the message came through.

A few moments later, the Lohengrin cannons emerged and fired. The two massive streaks of energy raced towards the location of the Nazca-class.

_'Looks like Lt. La Flaga and Lt. Hirsch succeeded.'_

Which meant that the Nazca-class had taken serious damage and would likely fall back and recall the mobile suits.

Suddenly, a pair of stray shots from the Strike flew past him.

"Hey Kira, watch where you're firing. You're gonna either hit me or drain your battery."

_"Sorry."_ Kira said he aimed at the Duel and fired.

Only to have nothing come out of the rifle. A moment later, the Strike's phase-shift armor deactivated.

_"No! I'm out of power!"_ Kira shouted.

At that moment, the Duel raised its rifle and aimed at the Strike.

"Hold on Kira!" Chris shouted as he transformed the Raven into its mobile armor form raced towards the powerless Strike. Cagalli then fired the Guardian's beam cannons to distract the Surge and the Blitz before they could give chase to the Raven.

At the same time, the Aegis also transformed and sped towards the Strike. It became a race to see who would get there first, the Raven, the Aegis, or the Duel's beams.

The Duel fired as the Aegis and the Raven neared the Strike.

The Raven was the winner. It's talons grabbed onto the shoulders of the Strike and pulled it out of the path of the beam. Chris turned the Raven towards the Archangel. The Blitz and the Surge fired at them, but he dodged their shots, barely. The Aegis however, was still hot on their trail. But thankfully, it wasn't firing at them as well.

_'Why is that? One good shot and we're dead. So why isn't he firing?'_

"Archangel. The Strike's out of power and I don't have much power left either. Launch one of the Striker Packs or we're gonna be screwed."

The Guardian had just dodged another shot from the Buster before turning its attention towards the Raven.

"EVA, can the launcher pack reach the Strike in time?" Cagalli consulted the AI.

"_**Unless the Aegis intercepts the Strike beforehand, I calculate a seventy-five percent chance that the Launcher pack will reach the Strike in time."**_ EVA replied in its calm tone.

"Archangel, hurry!" Cagalli shouted before firing her missiles at the Blitz and the Surge.

* * *

Athrun Zala stared at the Strike and the Raven, unsure of what to do. The soldier in him was saying fire at the Raven. But if he did that, the Strike would be caught in the explosion. But without it's phase-shift armor, the Strike would likely be heavily damaged, if it survived at all. If he fired at the Raven, Kira would likely...

"Athrun! What are you waiting for?! Shoot them down!" Yzak shouted.

Athrun couldn't fire. Not at Kira anyway.

"Damn it! I'll do it myself!" Yzak shouted as he aimed his rifle, preparing to fire it's grenade at the two mobile suits.

_'No! Kira...'_

Yzak was about to fire when suddenly, there was a loud "YEEHAW!!" followed by a barrage of beams and bullets that flew at the Duel.

Most missed, but a few hit their mark, stunning Yzak. Everyone looked up. It was a Moebius Zero and a custom Moebius.

* * *

Chris heard a warning alarm go off in his cockpit. Someone had a target lock on him.

_'Damn it, damn it, damn it...'_

Suddenly there was a loud "YEEHAW!!"

It was Lt. La Flaga and Lt. Hirsch. Chris breathed a sigh of relief.

"Get the Strike lined up with the Archangel so they can launch the Launcher Striker. We'll cover you." La Flaga said.

"Right. Thanks."

"Don't mention it. Now get going." Conrad said.

Chris didn't need to be told twice. He pushed the Raven's engines to the max draining most of the remaining battery power. One of the Archangel's catapults opened up. Chris turned the Raven and lined up both machines with the catapult.

"End of the line, Kira." Chris said as he released the Raven's grip on the Strike and flew away from the Strike.

"Thanks Chris." Kira replied as he released the Aile Striker from the back of the Strike.

The Launcher Striker launched from the Archangel towards the Strike. Kira quickly attached the Launcher Striker, reactivated the phase-shift and started firing at the enemy mobile suits.

* * *

Saul watched as the recharged Strike fired at them. Everyone managed to dodge the shots, save for Yzak, who lost the right arm of his machine in last blast.

_"Damn it!"_ Yzak cursed.

_"Yzak. We need to retreat."_ Athrun said.

_"WHAT?!"_ Yzak shouted at the top of his lungs.

_"The Vesalius has been damaged. And we're starting to run low on power."_

_"I agree with Athrun."_ Nicol said. _"If we don't fall back soon, it will be our turn to run out of power."_

"Yeah." Saul said as he glanced at his. "I'm running on fumes as it is. We should fall back."

* * *

Chris breathed another sigh of relief as he watched the five enemy mobile suits retreat. They had won. Chris found himself wondering how much longer these guys were gonna be chasing them.

Something told him that they weren't going away any time soon.

Inside the Guardian, Cagalli too sagged slightly in her seat in relief.

"That was close," She said with a sigh. "EVA, prepare to lockdown the Guardian."

"_**Acknowledged."**_

* * *

_"Wow. Even with a five to three mobile suit advantage, they still couldn't even destroy one mobile suit."_ Ajay said. _"That's sad. Real sad."_

_"Perhaps that's a testament of the skill of the pilots of three mobile suits and the crew of the ship."_ Lucius said.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps it was just luck." Diana said. "We're returning to the Odin."

_"Yes ma'am."_

_"Yeah boss."_

**End Phase**

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the lack of Cagalli being involved in this chapter, but I promise she'll be more involved in the next one. Also, I'm very excited that Command and Conquer 4 is out, but I've been hearing bad reviews about it. Now I haven't played the game myself, so I can't give my clear opinion about it; but I have seen the cutscene videos and I am a little disappointed about Kane's origins. I was expecting something a little more biblical about him. Anyway, you know what to do, click where it says "write a review" and tell me what you guys think.


	7. Phase 05: Vanishing Gundam

A/N: Well, here's chapter 5. Personally, I really like how this chapter turned out. It was not easy to get it all done, but I did it. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: See prologue.

* * *

**Phase Five: Vanishing Gundam**

January 25 C.E. 71

Aboard the Gamow

"Damn it!" Yzak shouted. "There was five of us and only three of them! And we still lost!"

Saul shook his head and turned away as Yzak continued to rant and rave about their defeat. Yzak really needed to learn some anger management.

Yzak grabbed Athrun and slammed him into the lockers on the wall. "And what the hell was that stunt?! You had a clear shot! You could have destroyed two of them! Why didn't you?!"

Saul had to admit. That puzzled him as well. Athrun had a fairly large window of opportunity to fire upon and destroy both machines in a single blow. Yet, he didn't.

"That's enough Yzak!" Nicol shouted. "The enemy's out there! Not in here!"

Yzak let go of Athrun but he was still pretty pissed off. "It's because of this coward that we lost to three _Naturals_!"

Saul sighed. "Again Yzak, you're underestimating Naturals. But that doesn't matter at the moment." he turned to face his teammates. "Two of those pilots weren't even Naturals, they were Coordinators."

Nicol, Dearka and Yzak gave looks of surprise and disbelief while Athrun looked away.

"What? No way." Yzak said.

"How can you be so sure?" Nicol asked.

"Simple, the pilot of the Raven told me himself," Saul replied. "And frankly, I can't see any reason to lie about that."

Yzak, if it was even possible, grew angrier. "So it's a pair of traitors piloting two of those things? Then we'll just have to destroy them."

"Isn't that our orders to begin with?" Saul said, earning an annoyed growl from Yzak.

None of them noticed Athrun's depressed expression. Or were even remotely aware of his secret.

But they also didn't notice that one of them was musing over this.

_'Two coordinators and one Natural piloting those machines? If what we've seen with the other machines is any indication, there's no _way a Natural should be able to pilot that last machine so efficiently. Something is up here, and Kane will want to know about it.'

* * *

Aboard the Bridge of the _Odin_

"Bring us towards the _Gamow_ and _Vesalius_. Hail the _Vesalius_ when we're in range," ordered Diana Kessel as she, Lucius, and Ajay stepped onto the bridge of the _Odin_.

"Aye sir," said Captain Lee as crew of the _Odin_ followed her orders.

She sat down in her—temporary—chair as the _Odin_, its sister ships, the _Einherjar_ and the _Valkyrie_, took off towards the two ZAFT warships. A few minutes later, the bridge of the _Vesalius _appeared on the main screen as John Alaric, ZAFT's somewhat legendary Black Hawk, stepped onto the bridge of the _Odin_.

"Ah...Commander Alaric." the masked snake of a man said. "To what do we owe the pleasure of a visit from your forces?"

"Someone has to keep an objective record of your colossal failure and incompetence," said Diana bluntly. John was quiet, hiding a smile. He often let her act as spokesperson when it came to speaking out against Le Creuset and Patrick Zala. She seemed a natural at it. "The failure to destroy a new warship in dry-dock, involvement in the destruction of neutral, civilian colony, the failure to capture not one, but three prototype mobile suits, repeated failures to capture or destroy said machines and warship and of course, the latest failure. Despite the fact that you had two warships and five mobile suits, you still lost to a single warship, three mobile suits, and a couple of mobile armors. Frankly, I don't see how you can escape punishment for all of this. Even with Patrick Zala helping you out."

"We shall see," replied Le Creuset smugly. "Speaking of the council, they've recalled the _Vesalius_ back. I was going to order the _Gamow_ to continue following the legged ship. If you wish, you can take command of the _Gamow_ and try your luck at catching the legged ship."

They all immediately knew what Le Creuset was attempting to accomplish. He wanted John to try and fail like he had. So he could discredit him and the men and women under his command. Of course, it was also a tremendous gamble as well. If the Alaric Team succeeded, it would only further show his incompetence. John stepped forward.

"We'll play your game, Le Creuset. But first, we require a copy of all of the data of the captured machines and any data on the legged ship and its mobile suits." The Black Hawk said firmly.

"Of course. I'll have a copy transferred to you momentarily. Good luck, Commander Alaric. You're going to need it with the legged ship now inside Artemis."

"I don't need luck Le Creuset." John shot back, narrowing his eyes.

"Oh, by the way, Miss Kessel, Mu La Flaga and Conrad Hirsch are on board the legged ship," said Le Creuset with a smirk. "I thought you would want to know."

Most of the _Odin_'s bridge crew glanced at her. They all knew of her desire to defeat the Hawk of Endymion and the Grimaldi Condor after they had humiliated her at Endymion. She had been the fifth mobile suit at Endymion that Mu La Flaga had shot down while her teammate at the time was shot down by Conrad Hirsch. Though she survived, she had never forgotten the humiliation of being shot down by a lone mobile armor, or the fact that she lost a teammate to another.

"I was already aware Le Creuset. There's only one Moebius Zero pilot left, La Flaga," she said coldly as she stood up. "And there's only one Moebius with a custom weapons load out, and that's Hirsch. We will shatter the Umbrella of Artemis and capture the legged ship and its mobile suits."

* * *

Artemis Base

"Well, it seems that you are indeed Lieutenants Murrue Ramius, Mu La Flaga, and Conrad Hirsch and Ensign Natarle Badgiruel," the portly commander said, turning from his computer to face the three GDI officers. "I am Gerard Garcia, Commander of Artemis Base."

Murrue was about to speak when Garcia interrupted, "Sorry about that. But we couldn't be too careful now. After all, you were an unidentified ship being followed by two ZAFT warships. But now that that's been cleared up. I welcome you to Artemis Base for however long you wish to stay."

Murrue didn't like this man. His voice and demeanor was like a bureaucrat's. He didn't give a damn about anyone on board the _Archangel_. All this man cared about was getting his hands on the _Archangel_ and the mobile suits and the reward he would get for giving them to his superior. "Thank you Commander," said Murrue politely. _Diplomacy…_ she thought to herself. "But all we need is supplies and we'll be on our way."

"I'm afraid that's out of the question. Although the damaged _Nazca_-class has withdrawn, the _Laurasia_-class is still out there, on the edge of our sensors. And it's not alone," said Garcia as he typed a command into the computer.

The large screen behind Garcia's desk showed the _Laurasia_-class and three very distinct _Nazca_-class warships. Their hulls were dark gray with red streaks running along the underbellies and tops of the warships. On the sides of the warships were a number of red skulls. One for each victory. On the doors of the mobile suit catapult was a black hawk. There were also a number of images painted on the hulls. Skulls, flames, sword, just to name a few. The paint job was solely a means of intimidation. And Murrue had to admit, it was certainly effective.

Everyone there knew what those warships were. ZAFT's dreaded Alaric Team. The best space-based combat unit fighting in the war. Feared and respected by both sides, the Alaric Team had been present in just about every major space battle of the war. And more often than not, they had been the cause of many of GDI's defeats in those battles. Led by the brilliant John Alaric, the team was known for their extensive use of high-speed and guerrilla tactics, and had on numerous occasions devastated GDI battle groups many times their size.

"I don't believe it," Conrad murmured in disbelief. "It's the Alaric Team!"

"Damn," cursed Mu. "I hoped we'd never see that team again after Endymion."

"As you can see, you've attracted a lot of attention. Why would you want to go out with the Alaric Team chasing after you?" asked Garcia as a smirk formed on his lips. "Here you're all safe. They can't get close to us without us detecting them and activating the Umbrella. And nothing can get through the barrier. They'll eventually get tired of waiting and leave. It happens all the time. Not even the Brotherhood of Nod could send somebody into this base without being seen."

"You've clearly never seen the Alaric Team in combat," said Mu. "Their reputation is well deserved."

"I have Lieutenant La Flaga. I was at Endymion. I know just how vicious they are," replied Garcia. "But not even they can penetrate this base."

"Don't underestimate John Alaric and his team," said Conrad. "A lot of better commanders have and died because of it."

"In any case, I suggest that you get some R&R," said Garcia, completely ignoring Conrad. "You appear to be exhausted. I'll have some rooms prepared for you."

Garcia pushed the call button on his desk. A pair of guards entered the room. Garcia hadn't said it, but they all knew. The entire crew of the _Archangel _and their passengers were prisoners. Prisoners of their own allies.

* * *

Aboard the _Gamow_

Thirty Minutes Later

Saul sighed as he made his way down the corridors of the _Gamow_. With Le Creuset, Athrun and the _Vesalius_ gone, the _Gamow_ was now for the time being under the command of the Black Hawk and, dreadfully enough, his sister. He could already feel her whips at his back.

"Hey Saul," called Dearka from behind.

Saul turned to his teammate. "Yeah? What?"

"I'm curious about your sister and the Alaric Team. We're gonna be working with them so I figured I should ask you."

"Well, I don't know much about the Alaric Team beyond what everybody else knows. But my sister, that's a whole other story. Let me give you the only advice you'll need for dealing with her. Don't lie to her, don't argue with her and do whatever she tells you to do. And you'll avoid castration."

Dearka stared at him in disbelief. "You're kidding, right?"

Saul stared back him with a dead serious expression. "Nope."

"Oh man. She sounds crazy."

"Not really. But she'll kick your ass if you piss her off," he replied. "In fact, she broke some idiot's arms after he almost got her squad killed during a training exercise."

"Damn. That's one woman I wouldn't wanna piss off," said Dearka.

Saul nodded. "Tell me about it."

"How are you even related to someone like that?"

"Actually, I'm the black sheep of the family. My parents are more like her than me." Saul sighed and added, "Well, we got a couple of hours until the briefing, so I'm gonna take a nap. See ya later."

"See you then."

A few minutes later, Saul entered his quarters and crashed on his bed. He glanced at the bed opposite his. Rusty's bed.

Saul sighed. It was hard to believe that his friend was dead. He found it strange. Just this morning, he had talked, joked and laughed with him, Miguel and the others. And now they were dead. Gone forever. He remembered Matthew talking about how when the war was over, he was going to propose to his girlfriend. He remembered Miguel's reason for becoming a soldier in the first place, to earn money for his sick younger brother. Now who would help his brother? Whoever said 'war is hell' was right.

_BEEP… BEEP… BEEP…_

Saul groaned. Someone was calling him. He got up and moved to the terminal built into his desk. He pushed the call button. "Yes?"

"A private message from the _Odin_ for you," said the Comm. officer.

Saul sighed. It was his sister. "Patch it through."

The screen changed to the face of his sister. "_Is this channel secure?_" she asked.

"Give me a moment," replied Saul as he typed in a series of commands on the terminal. "Oh. And it's nice to see you too, sis."

Saul had hacked the _Gamow_'s systems within a few hours of coming on board. It had been painfully easy to hack. And so were most normal military computers for that matter. But that was a whole other story.

"Okay. It's secure," said Saul. "What do you want?"

"_Any and all unedited records from all operations during the incident at Heliopolis and all the data on GDI's mobile suits and the legged ship. I don't trust the data Le Creuset gave us,_" his sister said in her usual cold and blunt tone.

"Is that all? I thought this was going to be something hard," said Saul as he started typing.

A moment later, he transferred a copy of all the data on the mobile suits and legged ship to the _Odin_. "There's the mobile suit data," he said as he started searching for the rest of the data she wanted. "And here comes the… What?!"

"_What is it?_"

Saul stared in disbelief at the screen. "All the data on Heliopolis and its destruction is gone…" he said as searched for some trace of the data. "There's no trace of it. All the data is completely gone."

"_Le Creuset, that sneaky bastard,_" Diana cursed. "_He must have removed all traces of what really happened just in case I'd try something like this. And I almost had him too._"

"You really hate Le Creuset, don't you?" commented Saul.

"_Our parents worry a lot about Patrick Zala,_" said Diana. "_And while Zala is dangerous, he is little more than a mad dog. Wild, angry, predictable. The truly dangerous one is Le Creuset. The man is a viper hiding in the bushes, waiting to strike upon the unsuspecting victim. A man like that is the one to truly fear._" She paused and then looked at him again. _"But he's not the only one either. Dad's been telling me some disturbing things about what's been going on with the council."_

"Such as?" Saul quirked an eyebrow.

"_Such as ideas on making Tiberium-based reactors for our mobile suits, and ideas to somehow allow us to use nuclear weapons again. But that's just the beginning."_ She said, almost in disgust. _"The council is continuing to push for avoiding conflict with Nod. Someone even suggested to making an alliance with them!"_

Saul snorted and said, "Ha! Fat chance of that happening." But then he got what his sister was getting at. "You're saying that dad thinks that some of the members of the council maybe Nod spies?"

Diana shrugged and replied, _"It's a possibility, but we can't be too sure. If they _are_ spies, they're doing a damn good job of hiding it."_

Saul pondered for a moment and then asked, "Do you think Le Creuset is a Nod spy?"

"_I doubt it,"_ Diana answered, shaking her head. _"But you never know; he could be."_

* * *

January 26 C.E. 71

Aboard the _Gamow_

The top soldiers of the Alaric Team, the captain of the _Gamow_ and the remaining pilots of the Le Creuset Team were gathered around the display table in the back of the bridge. The screen of the table displayed a read out of the Artemis Base and its Umbrella shield.

There were six so-called officers of the Alaric. Its commander, his second-in-command, and their four top troops. First was Lucius Raveshaw, the second officer of the Alaric Team. A dark-skinned man of average size and height, clad in a ZAFT red coat uniform. His white hair was cut in a standard military style. His red eyes always seemed like they were studying and analyzing everyone and everything around him.

Standing next to him was someone whom many considered to be the polar opposite of Lucius, Ajay Cortez. Also clad in a red uniform and a toothpick in his mouth, Ajay was a bit thinner and taller than Lucius. Ajay's demeanor and stance were quite different from his comrade. Where Lucius was standing straight and at attention, like a proper soldier, Ajay was relaxed and laid-back. His long, dirty blond hair was tied into a loose ponytail.

The next officer was a giant of a man, clad in a white uniform. Basque Gideon, Commander of the _Einherjar_ and its mobile suits. Basque's head was almost entirely shaved bald; except for a long black braided ponytail and a matching beard and mustache.

The fourth officer was a woman, wearing a white uniform with male pants instead of the female skirt. Lisa DaCosta, commander of the _Valkyrie_ and its mobile suits. She had short brown hair and green eyes.

Then there was the Ice Queen of the Alaric Team herself, Diana Kessel. Clad in a white uniform with male pants, she served as the day-to-day commander of the _Odin_ and its mobile suits. Her eyes were an icy blue, much like her icy demeanor. She had short, straight black hair.

Finally, there was John Alaric, the Black Hawk himself, leader of the team. A man considered by many to be the best pilot either side had to offer.

"The Umbrella of Artemis is a light wave barrier that blocks any and all incoming attacks. But it also blocks their attacks as well." said Lucius Raveshaw.

"So basically, we can't do anything and they can't do anything," said Dearka. "What a useless weapon."

"Perhaps. But as a purely defensive device, it's quite formidable." said Lucius. "Added to this, is the strategic unimportance of the Artemis Base. Because of its unimportance, no one has come up with a means to break the shield. However, this works to our advantage as well."

"What? How does that help us?" asked Yzak.

"Simple," said Ajay smugly. "All the guys inside Artemis have grown fat, lazy and complacent. They think that nothing can break through their precocious Umbrella. Which means, when we do break it, they'll run around in shock like a chicken with its head cut off."

"Correct," said Lucius.

"Let's just smash this 'Umbrella of Artemis' already." said Basque impatiently.

"Easier said than done," said Lucius. "I doubt anything short of a nuclear explosion could damage the barrier."

"Okay. So what's the plan? Wait for them to come out?" said Dearka with a chuckle.

"Quit joking around Dearka," said an annoyed Yzak. "What will the commander say when he gets back and we haven't finished this off? Do you want to be the one to tell him that we did nothing?"

"Enough," said Diana bringing up a hand to stop any further argument. "The Umbrella of Artemis will fall today."

"And just how are we gonna do that?" asked Dearka. "As long as the shield is up, we can't attack."

"And the only time they turn the Umbrella off is when we're out of their sensor range," added Saul. "But the second we get close to them, they'll raise it back up again."

"I believe your sister and I are thinking of the same strategy Nicol found," said John mildly.

"There is a way to break that shield and shatter Artemis," said Diana. "The Blitz."

* * *

The _Archangel_

Inside the Artemis Base

Chris was getting annoyed at this whole situation. As soon as they docked in Artemis, the ship had been boarded and they had been arrested. Of course, the soldiers hadn't said they were under arrest. But it was a joke. No doubt, the commander of this base wanted to present this ship and the mobile suits on board to the Eurasian government. And probably get promoted for it.

Now all the civilians and the entire crew, minus Lieutenant Ramius, Mu, Conrad, and Ensign Badgiruel, were crammed into the mess hall of the ship with armed soldiers standing guard, waiting. And they had been waiting for a number of hours already.

The mess hall doors opened and a fat toad of a man in an officer's uniform, accompanied by a group of armed soldiers.

"I am Commander Gerard Garcia." the officer said. "Who are the pilots of the mobile suits in the hanger?"

"What? You mean the captain didn't tell you?" one of the bridge officers said, Chris didn't know his name. "Or do you just not have the clearance to know?"

One of the soldiers punched the man. "Who are the pilots?" Garcia said in a more forceful tone.

Chris glanced at Kira and Cagalli. Kira was sitting next to him and he looked ready to stand up and admit to being one of the pilots. Lucky, Murdoch was pushing down on his shoulders, keeping him in place. Cagalli silently berated him for that, calling him an idiot and explaining to him that the crew was trying to protect them.

"Isn't it obvious?" Neumann said. "It was Lieutenant La Flaga, Lieutenant Hirsch and I."

Garcia smirked. "I don't think so. We were watching the battle. There was a Moebius Zero and a custom Moebius in the fight. La Flaga is the only Zero pilot left, and there is only one custom Moebius with a Gatling turret on top of the fuselage. And you're a bridge officer, not a pilot. So, who are the pilots?"

No one said anything. Garcia scanned the room, trying to figure out who the pilots were. "Hmm...I wonder." Garcia said as he started walking towards where they were sitting. "The captain of this ship is a woman. So perhaps the pilots are women."

Garcia stopped where he, Kira and the others were sitting. "And perhaps, they're disguised as civilians so we won't suspect them of being the pilots." he said before he grabbed Flay's arm and pulled her out of her seat.

"Hey! Let me go!" Flay shouted.

Sai shot up out of his seat. "Leave her alone!" he shouted.

Garcia backhanded Sai, sending him crashing into the table. Before anyone could react, Kira broke free of Murdoch's grasp and shouted, "Let her go! I'm the one you want!"

Garcia tossed Flay into the arms of a guard. "You expect me to believe that a mere child was piloting one of those mobile suits. Who are the real pilots, brat?!"

Garcia then punched Kira in the face. Or would have if Kira wasn't a Coordinator. Kira sidestepped the blow, grabbed Garcia's wrist and threw the fat commander to the ground. One of the soldiers grabbed Kira, restraining him.

"See!" a panicking Flay said. "He is the pilot! He's a Coordinator!"

Garcia's eyes lit up as he got up. "Well, then that changes everything." he said, eying Kira. "Who are the other pilots?"

Kira didn't say anything.

"Very well then. Take the two of them to interrogation. I want the names of those other pilots."

Flay's eyes widened in shock. She opened her mouth to say something. But before she could, Chris stood up. "I'm one of the other pilots. You can leave her alone now."

Garcia smiled. "You're a Coordinator as well?"

"Would take my word on it or would you prefer me to prove it by kicking your ass like Kira just did."

A guard standing next to him punched him in the side of the head. Chris stumbled from impact of the blow but managed to stay standing. He quickly turned to the soldier, slipping into a martial arts stance; he kicked the guard the stomach. Sending him crashing onto the table behind him. Chris then heard the sound of several guns cocking.

_'Yeah...I'm gonna stop while I'm ahead.'_

Chris sighed as he raised his hands in surrender.

"Now that was too hard." Garcia said as he signaled several of the guards. "Now, where's the last pilot?"

"Here," said Cagalli, standing up and locking her narrowed eyes with a still smirking Garcia. "And before you ask, I'm not a Coordinator I'm a Natural; and before you also start accusing me of lying I'll prove it to you by telling you that the Guardian's OS is voice activated and can only be activated by _my_ voice." She said in contempt before he could answer her. "Besides, I have no reason to lie."

Garcia narrowed his eyes at her, and then motioned for the guards to apprehend her too. "Those are pretty big words from such a small lady." He then looked to his guards, his smirk returning. "Take them to the hanger at once, and bring the other girl as well."

Cagalli grit her teeth and balled up her fists but said nothing verbally. Inside, she was seething with nothing but contempt for the arrogant man and she wasn't the only one.

* * *

Outside Artemis

The _Odin_, the _Einherjar_, the _Valkyrie_, and the _Gamow_ all began to turn around, preparing to leave the area. As they did, the _Gamow's_ hanger opened up and the Blitz launched. A moment later, it disappeared from view and from sensors.

* * *

"Mirage Colloid, it seems fitting for Nicol. A weapon fit for a coward." Dearka commented as they waited for their moment to launch.

"Nicol's not a coward." Saul said, defending his friend. "He's the bravest of us all. He chose to go to war when he could have just as easily didn't have to. The three of us joined ZAFT for our own reasons. But Nicol simple wants to protect the PLANTs. Frankly, I don't think that I could ever do what he does."

"Oh? Why did you join ZAFT then?" Dearka asked.

"To get my parents and my sister off my back," Saul replied. "I was fated to join ZAFT the moment I was born. So I'm just going with the flow."

* * *

The four ZAFT warships then left the sensor range of the Artemis Base and waited for the Blitz to finish its mission.

A few minutes later, the officers of Artemis deactivated the barrier, blissfully unaware of the invisible mobile suit approaching.

* * *

_Archangel_ Hangar

"So you want us to remove the locks on OS's, right?" Kira asked.

"For starters, but I imagine that the two of you could do a lot more than just that." Garcia said. "For example, you could analyze the designs of these machines and build another or even a weapon that's effective against these kinds of mobile suits."

"Well first off, we're students from Orb. Not soldiers. Not some high-paid military contractors." Chris said. "So why would we even do such a thing?"

"Ah...But the two of you are already traitors to your fellow Coordinators." Garcia smugly said.

"Traitors..." Kira said, stunned by Garcia's words.

"I have no idea what your reasons were. Nor do I care. But regardless, you two did betray your own people."

"That's a lie." Chris said. "Don't listen to this idiot, Kira. We're not traitors to anyone."

"Then why were the two of you fighting for the Global Defense Initiative against ZAFT soldiers?" Garcia asked, still in his smug attitude.

"I'm not a part of ZAFT or the PLANTs. Not anymore. Nor am I a part of the Global Defense Initiative." Chris said defiantly "And my 'people' are those aboard the _Archangel._ Not those in the PLANTs."

"Besides," Cagalli finally spoke with a huff. "What gives you the right to judge these two? Not all Coordinators live in the PLANTs you know."

Garcia then turned his attention towards the blonde girl. "I'd keep my mouth shut if I were you, girl." But he then strode towards her. "But I'm curious, how is a young girl like you able to pilot a machine like that." He indicated the Guardian.

Cagalli snorted and crossed her arms. "Like I'd tell you anything."

"Very well then." Garcia said, turning to one of his men. "Throw the other girl out an airlock."

Kira's, Chris' and Flay's eyes all widened in horror but Cagalli's face turned into a full blown scowl. "Unless of course, you wish to remove the locks."

"Damn coward," Cagalli muttered and then said aloud, "We never said we _couldn't_."

Kira and Chris grimly nodded. They had no choice; Garcia had everyone on board the _Archangel_ as his hostages. Kira, Chris, and Cagalli followed his orders and entered the cockpits of their machines and started typing.

Cagalli was a little reluctant to reveal EVA so soon, but she had no choice right now. Suddenly, there was a loud noise, like an explosion, and a tremor shook the base, followed by more tremors and noises. Anyone with half a brain could tell what was happening: the base was under attack. Someone had gotten through the Umbrella of Artemis.

Kira, Chris, and Cagalli used the confusion and pushed the technicians gathered around the cockpits of their mobile suits out of the way and got into the cockpits, shutting them closed.

Inside the Guardian, Cagalli switched EVA's systems on before saying her password, "Uzumi."

"_**System online,"**_ The AI's synthesized voice intoned. _**"Welcome back, Cagalli."**_

"Save the pleasantries, EVA," Cagalli said hurriedly, activating the Guardian's phase shift armor. "Artemis is under attack!"

"_**Understood, powering up all weapon systems."**_

The three machines came to life, breaking the clamps that were holding them in place.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Garcia shouted.

"We're under attack." Kira said. "What do you think we're doing?"

The Raven knelt down in front of Flay, Garcia and some of his men and extended one of its hands. Chris wasn't about to leave Flay with that man. "Flay, hop on."

Before anyone could stop her, Flay climbed on the hand and the Raven stood back up. Chris brought the Raven's hand to the cockpit door and opened the door allowing Flay to get in.

"Thank you." Flay said as she squeezed into the space between the seat and wall.

"Don't mention it." Chris replied. "Oh, and don't touch anything."

Chris opened up the comm. to the Strike and the Guardian. "Kira, Cagalli, let's get out of here and see what we can do."

_"Right."_ Kira said as he loaded the Sword Striker onto the Strike.

"_Roger,"_ Cagalli replied, grabbing the Guardian's spear.

"You know, you really shouldn't have said that." he said to Flay.

"What?"

"What you said in the mess hall. You shouldn't have told them that Kira was a Coordinator."

"But it was the truth. And besides, they're our allies." Flay said weakly, in her defense.

"Allies? Perhaps Eurasia is an ally and part of the Global Defense Initiative, but that commander doesn't give a damn about us. All he cares about is the promotion he'll get for handing over the _Archangel_ and these mobile suits to his superiors. Hell, he was about to throw you out an airlock if we didn't do what he wanted." Chris said. "The world isn't black and white, Flay. So don't think of everything as that."

Flay didn't say anything as the Raven, the Strike, and the Guardian exited the _Archangel_ and into growing chaos of the Artemis Base port.

* * *

The _Odin_, the _Einherjar_, the _Valkyrie_, and the _Gamow_ were closing in on Artemis. With its shield disabled, they had an opening. And now it was time to finish it off.

The Duel, the Buster, the Surge and the custom mobile suits of the Alaric Team were all quickly launched from the warships.

"Listen up men," said Diana Kessel over the comm. John was sitting this particular mission out—partially because he didn't want to be anywhere near Diana when she got the Hawk of Endymion or the Grimaldi Condor in her sights. "Team 3, will enter the hanger first; focus your fire on the docked ships and the base itself. Team 1 will follow Team 3 and attack the legged ship while Team 2 will remain behind in reserve to catch escaping ships. I want the legged ship's engines and weapons disabled. As well as the three mobile suits disabled and captured. If that is not possible, then destroy them. But leave the Moebius Zero and custom Moebius to me. Understand?"

Only her brother and the rest of the Le Creuset Team responded. The men and women under her command were well trained and didn't need to respond. They would follow out her orders to the letter.

"Good, then let us end both Artemis and the legged ship here and now," she said. "For the Black Hawk!"

"_For the Black Hawk!_" the pilots of the Alaric Team shouted back before the mobile suits rocketed off towards the Artemis Base and their prey.

Mobile armors scrambled out of the large main hanger, in an attempt to engage them. But they were no match for the aces of the Alaric Team. A hail of bullets and beams tore through mobile armors. Gideon's GINN and the rest of the GINNs of the _Einherjar _raced ahead of the others. The Team 3 consisted of all heavy weapons experts and was armed accordingly. Several heavy cannons and missiles were fired off, destroying several warships.

Basque roared as his GINN, Bruticus, charged forward, firing off his heavy cannon and Gatling guns while the rest of his team followed behind. Many of the docked vessels in the front of the hanger were quickly crippled or destroyed.

"Team 1, move out," ordered Diana.

The mobile suits of the _Odin _and the Le Creuset team raced into the massive hanger. They split up, searching for the legged ship and firing upon the mobile armors that were vainly trying to defend their base. They were all minor annoyances that were trying to stop them from reaching their objective. Diana fired off a few rounds at a mobile armor, clipping its engines and causing it to crash into the command center of the base, no doubt, taking the base commander with it.

She quickly and easily destroyed three more mobile armors. That was a problem that irritated her., it was too easy. True, GDI had numbers, but their mobile armors were vastly inferior compared to ZAFT's mobile suits. Truth be told, Diana was growing bored with the war. ZAFT's technology was just too superior. The only ones who could truly match them in technology was the Brotherhood of Nod, at least _they _had mobile suits. But unfortunately (or fortunately, depending how you look at it) ZAFT was not even fighting Nod anywhere, and without challenging opponents… well, how could she and her men improve if their opponents were all weak? When she learned that GDI was building mobile suits, she was actually quite happy. It would finally bring a balance to this war and actually challenge her.

But to be quite honest, she'd rather be fighting Nod.

It wasn't long before she, her brother, and his three teammates spotted the legged ship and its mobile suits. The Blitz was also there, battling the Strike, Raven, and Guardian, and losing badly. However, much to Diana's annoyance, there was no Moebius Zero or custom Moebius. No Mu La Flaga or Conrad Hirsch.

"_Time to end this,_" said Yzak he opened fire on the Strike only to have the Guardian move to intercept it and deflect it with its beam deflection system.

Diana, Saul, and Dearka all followed the Duel, firing on the trio of Earth Force's mobile suits. The Raven, Strike and Guardian dodged their shots and the Raven returned fire with its rail guns at the Buster and Duel while the Guardian let loose with its beam cannons, and missiles at them, while the Strike threw its beam boomerang at the Panther. Diana effortlessly dodged the incoming weapon and its rebound, only to come face to face with the Strike with its sword descending on her. But she wasn't some novice pilot; she was second-in-command of the best space-combat unit in all of ZAFT. She barely managed sidestepped the attack. Losing her machine's left arm in the process.

"_Leave her alone!_" Saul shouted, firing his Hakenfaust claw at the Dauntless.

The Strike pulled back, avoiding the claw weapon. Diana took that momentary distraction to fire off a burst of rounds at the Strike. But her bullets did nothing against the phase-shift armor of the machine.

'_Amazing, these mobile suits make even our machines inferior. Hell, they even make Nod's Purifiers look like our GINNs!'_

"_You alright, sis?_" asked Saul.

Diana was about to respond, when she noticed the legged ship was turning around. It was heading towards the open rear hanger door. "I'm fine, stop the legged ship!"

Huge explosions started tearing through the hanger. The GDI mobile suits were falling back to the legged ship.

"_You're not getting away this time!_" shouted Yzak, firing at the retreating mobile suits.

Unfortunately, at that very moment, a massive explosion tore through the hanger, creating a fireball that separated them from the fleeing ship.

_It seems Basque and his men were quicker that I thought they'd be,_ thought Diana as the legged ship slipped from their grasp.

"_No!_" shouted Yzak in rage and frustration.

"The base is coming apart," said Diana. "All forces: fall back. Repeat, fall back."

All of the ZAFT forces started fleeing the crumbling base. They had destroyed the Artemis Base, but failed in their ultimate objective. The capture or destruction of the legged ship and its mobile suits. But as long as that ship was in space, she and Alaric Team would hunt them down. Nothing ever escaped their grasp for very long.

* * *

Earth

Inside Temple Prime

2 days later

Kane sat in his chair as he read the report his spy within ZAFT had sent him. Kane prided himself as someone who wasn't surprised very easily; but the report he was reading disturbed him to no end. It had been almost a week since the destruction of Heliopolis, news of its destruction spread throughout the Brotherhood like wildfire; and he was rather impressed with the resilience of GDI's newest warship as well as the performance of their G Project mobile suits. But what disturbed him was the mentioning that the pilots of the un-captured mobile suits were two Coordinators and one Natural. He expected that the Strike and the Raven would be piloted by Coordinators, given the fact that his spy had informed him of the state of the OS's of the mobile suits themselves; but he was confused as to how a _Natural_ was able to operate the Guardian so quickly and efficiently during the engagement at Heliopolis. But that wasn't all that disturbed him.

Kane's thoughts were interrupted as the door to his office opened and the guards on either side allowed his trusted commander of the Black Hand, Anton Slavik, inside.

"You wanted to see me, my lord?" Anton said with a bow.

"Ah yes, Anton," Kane said, standing up out of his chair and striding up to his successor. "First, I'd like to congratulate you in retrieving the Dante's in one piece. I half-expected them to have at least one bullet wound each."

Slavik smirked deviously, "It was no trouble recovering them. I just gave them the right motivation." He said with pride.

Kane nodded. "Yes, about that," He said holding up a finger. "We will need to keep an eye out for their children; we may need them as a bargaining chip just in case the Dante's betray us again."

"I'll have my men working on tracking them down." Slavik said with conviction.

"Good," Kane said, before turning back towards his desk and turning his monitor around so Anton could see it. "Also, I'd like to show you something." He pressed a button on his monitor and the screen showed images of the Strike, the Raven, the Guardian, the Duel, the Aegis, the Surge, the Buster, and the Blitz engaged in combat with one another from Heliopolis all the way to Artemis.

"My spy within ZAFT has informed me of the progress of GDI's newest warship, the _Archangel. _Just recently they had docked at GDI's Artemis asteroid base at Lagrange 3. ZAFT's Le Creuset and Alaric teams arrived later and destroyed the base just hours after her arrival."

Slavik looked at Kane in shock; even he knew that Artemis' Umbrella shield was nearly impenetrable, until now. The question Kane knew he had in his mind had been: how?

"Apparently, one of the G Project mobile suits, the Blitz," Kane explained, bringing up the Blitz's image. "Has a system known as mirage colloid, that renders it invisible to sensors and the naked eye." He then showed an image of the Blitz activating its mirage colloid, Anton's eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the similarities between the Blitz's Mirage Colloid and their own Visual Stealth System.

"How is that possible?" Slavik asked, his gaze on the monitor still.

"I can have only one guess," Kane said. "Morgenroete has _it."_

Slavik turned to Kane in surprise. "You mean…" A nod was his only answer. "If that's true, then it's like you thought; Samuel Dante gave it to them."

"Without a doubt," Kane said, sitting back down in his chair. "But there's more," He then brought up an image of the Guardian as it engaged Rau Le Creuset's CGUE. "My spy has also informed me that the pilot of this machine, the Guardian, is a Natural."

Slavik turned to Kane with a look of confusion. "Forgive me, my lord, but why is that important?"

"A relevant question," Kane answered, not showing disappointment in Anton's curiosity. He then brought up a dual image of the Strike and the Raven. "The pilots of these two machines, the Strike and the Raven, are Coordinators."

Once again, Slavik's eyes were wide in disbelief. Before he could say anything, Kane raised a hand and stopped him.

"I know what you're thinking, my son," He said. "'How can a Natural operate this machine so efficiently on the first try?' I answer you, Morgenroete has installed something in that machine that allows a Natural pilot to operate it."

"Could it be similar to CABAL?" Slavik asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Possibly," Kane replied. "Nevertheless, I would like you to keep tracking this ship and the Le Creuset team. We need to know everything we can about those mobile suits and that ship. When the time comes, we may need to capture them ourselves. But for now, I just want to gauge their capabilities, learn all that we can so that we may counter them if and when we engage them."

"I'll get to work on it right away." Slavik said.

Kane nodded and said, "Good, you are dismissed."

Slavik bowed once again and turned to leave. Kane, then turned the monitor back towards him and continued to analyze the _Archangel_ and the G weapons. There was no doubt in his mind that Morgenroete built these machines so that they could not only outperform ZAFT's mobile suits, but their own Purifier mobile suits as well. If that was indeed the case, then that meant that Morgenroete and Orb have the one thing that could accelerate his plans into shape and he needed to recover it before they could fully decipher it. After all, it was only a matter of time before ZAFT, Orb, and GDI fell before the might of Nod.

* * *

A/N: Like I said, I like this chapter because I got to bring Kane back after a hiatus from the Prologue. I gotta keep the Brotherhood involved after all. So, you know what to do, click where it says "write a review" and do so.


	8. Phase 06: Respective Solitudes

A/N: I am SO sorry for not updating this story when I should've. I was experiencing "Writer's block" but now I'm back with a new chapter. It's kinda short, but I figured it would be best to update it now. I hope you like it.

Disclaimer: See first chapter.

* * *

_Phase 06: Respective Solitudes_

Shuttle to Aprilius One

February 3 C.E. 71

The door to the shuttle passenger compartment opened and Rau Le Creuset and Athrun Zala stepped inside to find two people waiting for them. Athrun's father, Patrick Zala, and a young man that Athrun had never seen before.

Both Athrun and Commander Le Creuset saluted as they entered the compartment.

"National Defense Chairman Zala, we hope you will permit us to accompany you," said Le Creuset.

The young man returned the salute while Patrick simply waved them off. "No need for formalities."

Athrun glanced at the young man sitting behind his father. He looked around Athrun's age and was clad in the red coat of a top ZAFT academy graduate. He had gray eyes and his black hair was cut in a standard military style. He looked rather bored.

"Ah Zane, I trust your assignment was a success?" said Rau as he took his seat.

"Yes sir. Everything has been taken care of," replied Zane.

"Excellent," said Rau with a grin. "Athrun, I don't believe you've met my protégé yet. Athrun Zala, this is Zane Scirocco. He'll be joining us once the _Vesalius_ is repaired and the matter of Heliopolis's destruction is cleared up with the Council."

"Hello," the two politely said to each other as they shook hands.

"You never saw me on this shuttle. Am I clear Athrun?" Patrick Zala said sternly to Athrun.

"Yes. I understand. It's been awhile, Father," he answered, taking his seat behind Commander Le Creuset.

"Needless to say, I agree with your opinion report. The problem is the fact that they've developed such advanced mobile suits; more advanced that Nod's. We'll forget all about the pilots. I went ahead and deleted that from the report."

Athrun stared at his father in surprise. Concealing such important information from the Council like that was treasonous, at the very least.

To Athrun's further surprise, Le Creuset agreed. "Thank you very much sir. I was confident that you would make that decision."

"Just think of the reaction if we told them that two of those machines were being piloted by Coordinators. It would only give the moderate faction something unnecessary to argue about."

Athrun was about to say something, but Le Creuset saw what he was feeling and interrupted him.

"Wouldn't you also find it difficult to have your friend be referred to as someone who has sided to the Earth Forces, due to the report?" asked Commander Le Creuset.

"No, but…" Athrun said, hesitantly.

"The Naturals created a mobile suit that can perform that well even with a Natural piloting it," his father said. "So that's what we're reporting. Understand?"

"Yes…" Athrun said with a downcast look.

"We must be more serious about this. Rau, I should be able to get you command of the task force that will be hunting the legged ship. It will consist of the _Vesalius_, the _Gamow_ and the Alaric Team," said Zala.

Le Creuset smirked. "Commander Alaric and Miss Kessel won't like that."

"No. They won't," replied Patrick. "But they will just have to deal with it."

"It doesn't matter in the end. We will deal with the ship and those mobile suits," said Zane. "All traitors deserve only one thing. Death."

* * *

PLANT Supreme Council

Aprilius One

Thirty Minutes Later

"I believe you can understand from the course of events you just saw that our actions were not intended as an attack on Heliopolis itself but the result of collateral damage and that the Global Defense Initiative was at fault for the collapse. That concludes my report. Thank you for your attention," said Rau, saluting the Supreme Council before taking his seat again.

"So Orb was working with GDI all along," said Orson White, the chairman of the Administrative Committee. "They're the ones who violated the treaty."

"Aren't you being a little premature," said Ian Kessel, the Legislative Committee Chairman. "Orb is more than able to design and build mobile suits and warships."

"But not to design and build mobile suits with GDI," said Ezalia Joule, a major supporter of Zala, and a member of the National Defense Committee.

"Ah… But Orb didn't design those machines. Morgenroete did," said Ian. "And last time I checked, Morgenroete was a company, not a country. As such, they could do what they please."

"But Morgenroete is a corporation of Orb," argued Ezalia.

"Yes. But Morgenroete is an independent company and is not the Orb government. And we have a treaty with the Orb government, not Morgenroete."

"This only further illustrates that those living on Earth cannot be trusted," said Herman Gould.

"Trusted? How arrogant is it to believe that we are the only trustworthy ones," said Kessel. "Besides, it's not like the Brotherhood of Nod designed these things."

"However, Commander Le Creuset, are these prototype mobile suits worth all of the sacrifices that have been made by our forces?" asked Patrick Zala, interrupting their argument.

Rau Le Creuset stood up again. "To explain the new mobile suits and their capabilities to you, I have one of our pilots with me, who has not only piloted one of the new machines, but fought against three of the machines that have remained with the enemy: Athrun Zala. He will give you the report on these new mobile suits. With your permission of course."

"I will allow Athrun Zala to present his report," said Siegal Clyne.

Athrun saluted and approached the council. The display screens in the council's tables came to life, showing the first of the new machines, the Aegis.

"First, I would like to present this machine is known as the Aegis. One major characteristic is its transformation system. GAT-X303; its structural frame is fundamentally different from at least seven of the other models. This allows the machine to transform into a mobile armor. While in this configuration, its main weapon is the Scylla, a five-hundred-eighty millimeter multi-phase energy cannon. As with the other machines, it incorporates a system known as Phase Shift Armor, which we have yet to test properly in actual combat. At present, we are reprogramming the OS to maximize its potential, and judging from its specs, this machine we believe is superior in both mobility and power to ZAFT's main weapon, the GINN."

The Duel appeared, one of its beam sabers drawn.

"GAT-X102, the Duel. This machine was developed with close-range combat in mind and has a wide range of uses. It's believed to the basis of the development of the other nine models. Like the others, it is equipped with the anti-air Vulcan system Igelstellung. The machine carries a beam saber and an anti-beam shield.

Next, the Buster appeared, firing its powerful cannon.

"GAT-X103, the Buster. This machine was designed to be capable of long-range artillery attacks. It is believed that its main purpose was to provide covering fire from the rear, and to perform sniper attacks. It is not equipped with a shield; however, it has a three hundred and fifty millimeter gun-launcher, and a high-energy focused beam rifle. By attaching these weapons in different combinations, one can form a hyper impulse long-range sniper rifle, or an anti-armor shotgun."

Then the Blitz appeared. It raised its arm and fired off its missiles.

"GAT-X207, the Blitz. This one has a feature called Mirage Colloid, whereby gas particles are released over the armors surface. In the eyes of the enemy, this machine becomes virtually invisible. This makes it effective for search and destroy missions; however one of the drawbacks is that the Phase Shift armor cannot be used while the system is activated. It's believed that this model was developed for blitzkrieg warfare and is similar to that of Nod's visual stealth technology. It is also equipped with its own weapons, Trikeros and Gleipnir."

The images on the screens changed to images of the Surge racing into battle.

"GAT-X204, the Surge. This machine is not only the sister unit to the Blitz, but is also the fastest of all the mobile suits from Heliopolis. In fact, its maximum speed is faster than any of the current ZAFT mobile suits. The drawback however, is that repeated uses of its high-speed capabilities rapidly drain its battery. We believe that it was designed specifically as a counter to the high-speed mobile suits of the Alaric Team. Its primary weapons are a 55mm beam rifle, a pair of anti-armor swords and the Hakenfaust triple claw weapon."

The screens now displayed the Raven, firing off the twin barrels of its railgun.

"Now, the three that got away. First of these is the GAT-X302 Raven. Like the Aegis, this machine is able to transform into a fighter-like mobile armor. Its mobile armor form also appears to be able to double as a flight platform for other machines. Its primary weapon is the dual 52mm hyper velocity railgun with a shield attachment. Its main weapons in its mobile armor mode is a pair of 76mm machineguns and the beam blade weapons mounted in the feet of the mobile armor. We suspect this machine was designed primarily for atmospheric and space combat."

The screens again changed, now showing the Guardian in close combat mode and firing its beam cannons.

"This one is an unknown. Through intercepted enemy communications, we were able to identify it as the Guardian. From what we can tell in the few engagements we had against it, it is equipped with some sort of energy shield that deflects beam weaponry when it's in close combat mode. We believe this feature was meant to take on our own beam weaponry as well as in the case of these machines being stolen. As for weapons, we know it's armed with a spear, two beam cannons, two machine guns in the forearms, and four missile tube launchers. Aside from that, we don't know what style of combat it was designed for."

The screens changed to the final new machine, the Strike, launching from the legged ship.

"Finally, the Strike. Judging from our encounters with it, we know it to be a machine capable of various types of combat. This model's design allows for it to switch its equipment with modules identified as Launcher, Sword, Lightning, and Aile. We can determine from the image that the Launcher holds a three hundred and twenty millimeter hyper impulse cannon. Our assumption is also that it has a one hundred and twenty millimeter anti-ship Vulcan cannon, as well as two three hundred and fifty millimeter gun-launchers. The Sword module equips it with a fifteen-meter long anti-ship blade, along with a beam boomerang. The Lightning module equips it with a powerful weapon that we believe to be an electromagnetic cannon, with power far in excess of the main guns of a battleship. In addition, the machine itself carries two knives in its hip section. It's likely this model has extremely high combat potential."

"That is all," said Athrun before saluting and then returning to his seat.

"They've actually manufactured these abominations!" said Jeremy Maxwell, the disgust evident in his voice. "Those disgusting Naturals."

"But they're only in the trail stages. You can hardly consider ten mobile suits a threat," said Eileen Canaver.

"But if they've come this far, the next step would be to mass-produce," said Ezalia.

Ian Kessel started to laugh, causing everyone to stare at him. "I'm sorry. But this is just so ridiculous," he said. "You call those mobile suits abominations, but GDI is simply doing what must be done in war. If your enemy builds a superior weapon, than you must create better weapon to counter that one. Frankly, I'm surprised that it took them this long to create their own mobile suits."

"How can you say that?" asked Gould. "This is a clear indication of the Naturals intentions. They crave war, a desire to violence and havoc."

Kessel laughed again. "Few people, whether Natural or Coordinator, ever truly crave war. Next you're going to say that all Coordinators care only about peace and all Naturals are Blue Cosmos members," he said. "Your thinking is just like that of Blue Cosmos. Narrow-minded and bigoted. You're also forgetting the fact that the Brotherhood of Nod has developed their _own_ mobile suits; and they have Naturals _and_ Coordinators in their ranks."

His comment sparked a massive shouting contest among many of the Council members, while Clyne vainly tried to reestablish order among the Council. When Patrick Zala spoke.

"There is no one who prefers to fight. Who among us actually wants to head out to a battlefield? We want to live peacefully, gracefully, and happily. That has always been our only wish." Zala stood up, his voice becoming louder. "But who so ruthlessly shattered that wish? Who took our freedom away for their own selfish ambitions? Who pushes us aside to better themselves? Who exploits the Coordinators?"

"Who will never let us forget the Bloody Valentine Tragedy? The nightmarish destruction of Junius Seven! Two hundred forty three thousand seven hundred and twenty-one people. It has been one year since that abominable incident claimed so many of our fellow citizens. Yet we've pondered endlessly to try to end this war quickly. Our demands have been minor. However, the Naturals have put our efforts to waste, time and time again!"

"We fight because it's the only way to protect ourselves. If we must fight to protect ourselves, then we have no choice but to fight!" said Patrick Zala, bringing his speech to an end.

Almost the entire Council was quiet. None could really argue with him. Save one.

"As always, you have a flare for the dramatic Zala. But using the victims of Junius Seven as rallying cry for war is despicable and an insult to their memory," said Ian with a mock applause.

Zala's face could barely conceal his rage. "How dare you say," said Zala, barely stopping himself from yelling. "My wife was killed at Junius Seven."

"Which is why someone like you should not be a member of this Council during this war," replied Ian. "Leaders, both political and military, should never have a personal reason for fighting a war. They must lead with a clear mind. Free of anger, hatred, and desire for revenge against the opposing force. They must be willing to hear any call for peace and even if there is only a slight chance, they must be willing to take it. I do not believe that you are able to, Zala. And frankly, I fear the day you come into power."

"My fellow Council members, as you know, I come from a long line of soldiers. My father fought in the War of 28 when I was only a boy; and his father fought in the Reconstruction War before any of us were even born. I served in ZAFT's military before becoming a member of this Council. My wife and children are all fighting this war. I know how wars must be fought. We must fight this war with calm and rational minds. Not minds consumed by hatred and vengeance. It must be fought for peace and peaceful coexistence with the Naturals and the Earth. Not for retribution. Seeking retribution and vengeance will only lead to more death, more pain and suffering, more hatred."

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. I urge you, all of you, don't let this war become personal. Don't let this war become about vengeance for those lost at Junius Seven. Don't let this war become consumed by hatred. Nothing good will come of it. We must be better than those who destroyed Junius Seven. This war cannot end the way it started. If it does, then nothing changes and the next war will just be a continuation of this one. It is our responsibility to ensure that our children, their children and all the children yet to be do not suffer from our mistakes."

"But we must also not forget that there are other enemies besides the Global Defense Initiative. You know who I speak of, the Brotherhood of Nod. As you know, since this war started their activities have been nearly nonexistent with the exception of a few minor skirmishes and their propaganda broadcasts. But I guarantee you; they won't stay under the radar for long. The only reason they haven't been busy is because they want us to believe that they aren't. Sure their so-called 'messiah', Kane, is dead; but that is no excuse for us to become lax when it comes to them. We may be at war with GDI right now, but sooner or later we will end up fighting Nod; it's only a matter of time."

No one in the council noticed, but one member seemed to bristle at what Ian had said about Nod and Kane.

'_He is going to be a huge problem when the time comes.'_

* * *

Patrick Zala's Office

An Hour and a Half Later

"Damn that man!" cursed Patrick Zala. "That stubborn fool just can't see what needs to be done! He'll ruin everything! There has to be a way to remove him."

Rau quietly sighed as Zala continued to rant and rave about one of his biggest political opponents. Ian Kessel was proving to be a difficult political opponent. Though the man was for fighting the war, he was against Patrick Zala's more radical views and sought to end the war peacefully, unlike Zala—and Rau himself, of course. He was also a strong opponent in signing any, if impossible, treaty with the Brotherhood of Nod as well as the use of Tiberium for an alternative resource.

"Perhaps, but unfortunately, Kessel has a great pull with the military," said Rau. "He has support of a number of our armed forces and his wife is one of ZAFT's top officials. Plus his daughter is the second-in-command of one of our best units. Any direct action taken against him at the moment could be disastrous to our cause."

"We wouldn't be in this mess, if your assassin had done his job properly!" Zala yelled back. "If he'd taken out Alaric like was suppose to, we would have had that unit under our control and discredited Kessel, all in one fell swoop!"

"John Alaric is a dangerous man," said Rau calmly. "He is not so easily deposed of."

Alaric had been a major problem for them. On the one hand, he and his team had become icons of ZAFT's military might. But unfortunately, he was strongly opposed to Patrick Zala and his faction. Worse yet, from the early days of the war, he had been extremely suspicious of both of them. Alaric had been coming close to uncovering things that they had both sought to keep buried. Fortunately, they had a mole within the Alaric Team who had informed them of all of this.

The three of them had created out a detailed plan for eliminating Alaric and then framing Diana Kessel as his killer and a GDI spy, allowing a more supportive commander to take over the Alaric Team. It would have also tainted the reputation of the Kessel family, branding them with the suspicion of treachery and would have greatly weakened their support.

Unfortunately, by pure chance, Diana Kessel discovered the assassin in the act of trying to kill Alaric and killed him. Fortunately, she'd killed the assassin before he could name them. Naturally, he was labeled a GDI spy.

Still, it seemed to have discouraged Alaric's investigation into the two of them. Or at the very least, he didn't have anything he could use at the moment and had decided to concentrate on the GDI Forces. Which was fortunate as he and his team were wild cards that could possibly disrupt their plans. And any disruption this late in the game could jeopardize everything he had worked for.

Perhaps he'd see about getting the legged ship and its mobile suits to deal with them.

But like Kessel, Alaric was also an opponent in the use of Tiberium for a resource and becoming allies with Nod. Rau doubted that the Brotherhood would even sign such an alliance, despite their common enemy. He also kept trying to convince the council that Nod was as much a threat to the PLANTs as GDI and Blue Cosmos. Luckily for Rau, Alaric and Kessel's warnings about Nod are going unheeded.

Rau couldn't help but mentally laugh at the irony of it all. Years ago, before things went downhill with the PLANTs and Earth, Nod had always been on the minds of every living person and staying alive from Tiberium infestation. These days, most of the people of Earth are more concerned with ZAFT invading their territory than Nod launching guerilla strikes. Everything was going according to Kane's plan to weaken GDI and ZAFT.

But of course, Nod and Kane were mere pawns in his own game; and if everything goes according to plan, then Nod would suffer as much as GDI and ZAFT.

* * *

Kessel Residence

Same time

"He must have been mad after you gave that speech." Martha Kessel said, as she served her husband his coffee.

"Oh he was," Ian said, taking a sip of his drink. "So were a few other members of the council. All they care about is getting revenge for Junius 7."

"Well you can't blame them for wanting revenge," Martha said, sitting down on the couch next to him. "After all, many members of the council, including ourselves, lost loved ones there."

Ian sighed as he rubbed his temples. "I know, but if this war continues to go on as I fear it might, it might end up becoming the extermination of every Natural from the oldest man to the youngest child and then we'd be no better than what Blue Cosmos wants."

"Do you really think it will come to that?" She asked him, taking his hand.

"I hope not." He said, looking at her.

"And if it does?"

"Then we may have to resort to desperate tactics. Whatever they may be." Ian said somberly.

"What if you're wrong?" Martha asked him again, placing her hand on his shoulder. "What if the council doesn't want to end making the war progress that far?"

Ian sighed and looked at her with all seriousness. "I don't know, but if that does happen, then we'll continue to show our support."

Martha smiled and then kissed him. "That's why I love you, you always know when to let some things go."

He smiled back and returned her kiss. "Funny, I thought it was my good looks."

She laughed and slapped his arm before he pulled her in for another kiss.

* * *

Debris Belt

February 2 C.E. 71

Chris sighed as the Raven flew through the all debris and garbage that made up the Debris Belt. He, Kira, and Cagalli had split up and were searching the area for supplies they desperately needed. Once they found something, they would call the Archangel and they would send out teams to retrieve the supplies. But at the moment, they hadn't found much of any thing.

"Hey Chris, have you found anything yet?" Liz asked over the comm.

"Nah. There's nothing really here." he replied as he maneuvered under some debris. "This is starting to look like a-"

Chris froze the second he maneuvered around the debris and saw what was in front of him.

'No...It can't be...'

"Chris? What is it? Chris? Brother, are you there? What do you see?" he heard his sister ask.

But his thoughts were entirely on what was in front of him. Somehow, he managed to speak. But he wasn't sure how he was able to say anything.

"What do you see? Chris? Are you there? Please respond." Liz frantically said over the comm.

"Home..." Chris replied, his voice quiet and faint. "Liz...It's our old home..."

Liz's face instantly became pale and like her brother, she was paralyzed from shock.

"What is he talking about?" Captain Ramius asked. "What has he found?"

"Our home before the war started...Junius Seven."

* * *

A/N: Well that's that for this chapter. I hope you guys remember what to do. See where it says "write a review for this chapter"? Click on it and post a review.


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